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Businessman Killed During Armed Attack
Thu, November 26, 2015
Businessman Ruben Perez was killed this afternoon in Belize City. 47 year old Perez owned an aggregates business at the end of Vernon Street near the George Price Highway - where he sold sand and gravel and cement blocks.

Surveillance video obtained by 7News shows him sitting calmly behind his desk at 3:14 pm playing with his cell phone. Perez seems to detect a disturbance and stands up. Suddenly, two men - one of them with a gun - come running into the frame. There is a brief standoff - and then Perez pushes the one without a gun. And that's where the very jumpy gunman then shoots Perez in the neck at close range - we won't show that part of the video.

After that, with Perez on the ground, the gunman comes back to collect something - what it is we don't know. Police say they need your help in identifying those two men - and we'll tell you how you can help with that later on.

But first, we spoke to a neighbor and police at the scene:

VOICE OF: Neighbor
"And about 5-6 minutes after 3pm, we heard bang! And that bang - I said eh. I told my grandkids it didn't sound like an acid bomb. That sounded like some sort of gun. A few minutes later we saw the police come."

Reporter
"So police came and took the body. Was he dead already?"

VOICE OF: Neighbor
"Well it appears he was not. According to those who knows a little more that he got shot somewhere in the region of the head and he was rushed to the hospital by the police. Then we realize that it was Mr. Primo, who is our good neighbor. He is in the aggregate business and helps us in little donations wherever we were in problems and so on. He is a "buen vecino" - best said in Spanish."

Insp. Alejandro Cowo, CIB Prct. 1 & 2
"Some time after 3pm today, police received information of a shooting at #338 Vernon Street, which is Perez Hardware. Upon arrival, police met a male person with an apparent gunshot to the neck. This person was transported to the KHMH where he was pronounced dead shortly afterwards. At this time police are following several leads in regards to establish a motive as there are lots of things that we are dealing with that we cannot tell you directly what is the motive at this time."

Reporter
"Was he alone there?"

Insp. Alejandro Cowo, CIB Prct. 1 & 2
"Yes, he was inside his small office and another person was outside that deals with the selling and loading of construction materials."

Reporter
"I notice that there are surveillance cameras. Are those functioning?"

Insp. Alejandro Cowo, CIB Prct. 1 & 2
"Yes. We are looking at them to see how they can assist us in this investigation at this time."

Reporter
"So, for now you can't say whether its hit, a murder, an attempted - nothing like that?"

Insp. Alejandro Cowo, CIB Prct. 1 & 2
"No. We cannot give you that information as yet until we get other information, then we can probably share exactly and say what is the motive behind this shooting murder."

Reporter
"Could you tell us what was the scene that you've found? He was in his office, was he sitting? Did it seem that there was a struggle or anything like that?"

Insp. Alejandro Cowo, CIB Prct. 1 & 2
"He was actually laying down on his back. Yes, we found some coins at the scene thrown away and thats all that we found there and one expended shell."

Reporter
"Does it seem as though there was a struggle?"

Insp. Alejandro Cowo, CIB Prct. 1 & 2
"Apparently yes, it looks like there was a struggle. But as I tell you at this time we cannot assert exactly what was the motive."

Police say they found Perez lying on his back with a single expended shell beside him. The gunman used a 9 millimeter pistol. Notably, Perez had money on him but was not robbed. When the gunman came back and snatched up something - he does not appear to have taken money.

Now, back to the surveillance video - police cannot identify the attackers and are asking the public to assist. Crime stoppers is offering a $500 dollar reward for any information which leads to their arrest - not conviction, but arrest. To give that information, you should call 0-800-922 TIPS.

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