Teenager Killed After Allegedly Burglarizing Container Warehouse
A tragic incident occurred on Wednesday morning in San Ignacio, where a teenager was shot and killed. The victim has been identified as seventeen-year-old Huard Ramirez. According to police, Ramirez entered a trailer in the Boiton area without permission. When the property owner, forty-four-year-old Juan Gonzalez, arrived, he found Ramirez trying to exit through a window. Gonzalez told police that when he confronted Ramirez, the teenager allegedly picked up a piece of wood and tried to attack him. In response, Gonzalez says he drew his weapon and fired a single shot at Ramirez. News Five’s Paul Lopez traveled west to find out more about this incident.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Seventeen-year-old Huard Ramirez from San Ignacio tragically lost his life on Wednesday morning in the Boiton area. According to reports, Ramirez was allegedly trying to burglarize a container being used as a warehouse when the owner caught him in the act. In the ensuing confrontation, the owner shot Ramirez.
Voice of: Mother of Deceased
“He was a nice person, kind, funny person.”
His mother is devastated. She requested that her identity be concealed for safety reasons. Contrary to a report from police that only one shot was fired, Ramirez’s mother says her son was shot three times.
Voice of: Mother of Deceased
“I just love my son; I just love my son. Why he had to do that? He didn’t have to shoot him in the face, only on the foot. That really hurt me, and I don’t know what else they did him. I don’t know. All of us cared for him and we loved him. No matter how, all of us makes mistakes, the rich the poor, all of us makes mistakes.”
Paul Lopez
“What did you understand he was doing back there?”
Voice of: Mother of Deceased
“He told me he is going to work. And he come and bring me lee money and I appreciate what he do for me. But, they didn’t have to do that to my son, at least shoot him on his foot, or call me and tell me mih son eena the property and I could go help, or call the police.”
Ramirez collapsed just a short distance from the container as he tried to flee. A blood-stained patch of grass marks the spot where he took his last breath. His death has ignited conversations about poverty and desperation. Coming from a family living on the edge of poverty, Ramirez often took on small jobs to help support his household. We spoke with Rita Defour, the Manager at Corner Stone Foundation, an NGO that supports marginalized children through a feeding program. She first met Ramirez when he joined the program in primary school.
Rita Defour, Manager, Corner Stone Foundation
“They came to Corner Stone and we had a conversation with the mom and we heard found out that they needed to go on the feeding program and we put all of them on the feeding program.”
Defour shared her memories of Huard with us, following a heartfelt message she posted on Facebook. She urged people not to judge him, explaining that he was a broken young man with no one to turn to. “Tired of being providers when they are just a child,” Defour wrote.
Rita Defour
“It hurts because we have so many children that are falling through the cracks of life, because they are not getting the help they need. People say oh he is a little thief. They need to see the bigger picture, because he comes from generational poverty. The only thing he knew, the only thing that Howard knew was that he had to survive in this world and he had to help his little sisters survive. That is what he knew. He knew nothing else. He use to come right at this gate like every two weeks and he use to say Ms. Rita we have nothing to eat. And I use to take money out my bag and give him. We use to take groceries out of our pantry and give him. I know a lot of people judge him and they will continue to judge him, because they don’t know what that family in going through and I have a lot of family going through the same thing.”
Despite his family’s dire financial situation, Ramirez had previous run-ins with the law. In January 2023, at just fifteen years old, he was accused of being part of a group that robbed two women in the Kontiki area. However, this time, Ramirez lost his life. His mother claims there was a history between the property owner and their family.
Voice of: Mother of Deceased
“And they had no right to kill my son like that. If they had something why deh nuh come tell me. I dah the mah, talk to me.”
Paul Lopez
“People are saying your son should not have been in the container.”
Voice of: Mother of Deceased
“Yes, I understand, but like how I told you, nobody perfect, everybody do mistakes in this world. Each one do mistakes. So if people think so they perfect, they wrong, really wrong, only god perfect.”
Rita Defour
“I have been doing this work for eighteen years and it pains my heart when I see kids like that just die so senseless because I know Howard was a smart little boy and he could have been somebody great.”
Paul Lopez
“I see that you mention in your Facebook post that what he did was wrong.”
Rita Defour
“Yes what he did was wrong, but he never should have reached to that point. But, a lot of kids go to that point just to survive. That is what people have to understand, they will reach that point because they want to survive.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.
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