Woman Beaten, Kidnapped by Estranged Husband

A mother of three is grateful to be alive tonight after a terrifying ordeal where she was brutally beaten and allegedly kidnapped by her estranged husband early Saturday morning. Released from K.H.M.H. today, she told News Five that she spent the weekend receiving medical care, and a CT scan revealed she’ll need surgery for a broken cheekbone. Sabela Brakeman recounted that she was asleep at her home in the San Pablo area of San Pedro, around one a.m., when her roommate’s screams woke her. She saw her estranged husband attacking her friend with a piece of wood. When she screamed in horror, he turned on her. The assault started in San Pedro but ended in Caye Caulker after he reportedly took her against her will, first on a golf cart and then on a jet ski. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story.

 

Sabela Brakeman, Kidnap Victim

“He continued whopping me, which he caused injuries to my head, my forehead, my mouth. He kept knocking me, and then he went outside and see if my friend was there. She was not there no more. She managed to get away to seek help and while I was still in there he was still knocking me with that stick, it’s like a two by four. Then he get me out, he pulled me off my bed and carried me outside. He placed me on a golf cart.”

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

Sabela Brakeman claims that her estranged husband, Kenny Brakeman, broke into her house around one A.M. on Saturday in San Pedro and attacked both her and her roommate. While her roommate managed to escape and get help, Sabella wasn’t as fortunate. She says Kenny dragged her out of the house and onto a golf cart. Terrified of what might happen next, she tried to escape by jumping off, scraping her knee in the process. But she couldn’t get away, and he forced her back onto the cart and continued to drive off. The nightmare didn’t end there. Sabela says Kenny then transferred her from the golf cart to a jet ski and took her all the way to Caye Caulker.

 

Sabela Brakeman

“When he put me back on the golf cart, he keep driving in the direction where he live, and he say, “Mek I see which a**hole wa come save you now. You nuh want deh with me, if you da nuh fi me, you da nuh fi nobody else. And he grab me, he continue ker me. We reach where he live. He grab me, continue drag me. He place me on the jet ski. He braced me on the jet ski. We drive off maybe 30 minutes. When we drive off now, he said, I think that is Chetumal. This is Corozal and that one, I don’t know which part that one, but if you relax and you don’t say nothing, I will let you go in Corozal, and I gwein across the border because police won’t catch me.”

 

Unaware that she was now on Caye Caulker, Sabela says she managed to break free by hitting Brakeman. She then jumped into the water and swam to a dock. That’s where she finally escaped from him and found help.

 

Sabela Brakeman

“He was going offshore. That’s when I knocked him and I managed to escape from him. I reached a dock where I climbed the dock. While I was going that way, I see a sign that mark “POLICE.” That is when I went inside the police station and I told the police what happened to me.”

 

Today, A.C.P. Hilberto Romero mentioned that this is the first time the police have been informed of any domestic issues between the couple. He also confirmed that Sabella’s report has been officially recorded.

 

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Reg. Cmdr., Eastern Division

“On Saturday, the 16th day of November, 2024, around 2:30am, Caye Caulker police responded to a report at the Caye Caulker Polyclinic, where upon arrival they found Sabela Brakeman with several injuries. She reported that she was in San Pedro, in her bedroom when she was attacked by her ex-husband, Kenny Brakeman, who broke down the door and hit her and a roommate with a piece of stick. Brakeman then placed her on a jet ski and headed towards Caye Caulker. Somewhere near Caye Caulker she managed to jump in the water and she went to seek help. The jet ski was carried over to the police. She was then transported to the K.H.M.H. for treatment where she remains in a stable condition. We’re still looking for Kenny Brakeman, as he has not been found.”

 

Britney Gordon

“Do we know how he entered her house?”

 

A.C.P. Hilberto Romero

“He broke down the door and entered her house.”

 

Sabela shared that she had taken out a restraining order against Brakeman after leaving him due to domestic violence. She initially moved to Toledo for safety but eventually returned to San Pedro to be closer to their three children, who were living with him. She needs surgery to repair a broken cheekbone, her teeth, and a head injury and is asking for your help.

 

Sabela Brakeman

“The doctors said I need surgery for my gum. This side here is broken. So all this, and all my teeth are soft. I can’t eat and I have one cut here. It start here and goes to here (gesturing). Then I have another one that start here, all the way behind my head. I have another one here. I have my hands, my feet, and all the bruises I get from him.”

 

Sabela was discharged from the KHMH earlier today. If you would like to help her, you can reach her on 6655083. Marion Ali for New Five