7 News Belize

Why Was Bella Vista Woman Killed?
posted (July 18, 2012)
Tonight a family in the Toledo District cannot come to terms with the loss of a daughter, friend and mother of two. 25 year old Susana Romero is believed to have been killed early on Thursday morning.

Police still haven't disclosed what was the cause of death - or if anyone has been arrested.

But, right now the family could hardly be consoled by police platitudes: they were made to endure the ultimate indignity of watching the decomposing remains of their loved one rot in the open sun as they waited 25 hours for police to perform a post mortem.

When Monica Bodden visited them today, their emotions were still raw - and the pain of their loss, overwhelming.

Here's her report from Bella Vista:

Monica Bodden Reporting

The quiet community of Bella Vista is still grieving the loss of Susana Romero - the mother of 2 who was found murdered on Monday morning.

Her body was found less than half mile away from La Mafia Bar where she was last seen alive. It was hidden behind some bushes just a few yards off the highway -partially nude.

In the vicinity were visible tire tracks - believed to have been those from her murder's vehicle.

Susana Romero was last seen exactly a week ago from today - socializing at this Bar in the village.

Inside the bar at the time was her friend Jenny Nunez and the bar owner. According to Nunez a strange Caucasian man came knocking on the bar door - which was already closed for the night. They opened the door and Susana appeared to have been friends with the gentleman. They began drinking and socializing.

That same man was the last person seen with Susana Romero - leaving the bar around 11:30 that night.

Jenny Nunez - Friend Of Deceased
"We were drinking, and suddenly, a car came. There was a knock on the door, she said, 'It's the police. Open the door. It's my friend.' They opened the door, and when we saw that it was the white man -"

Monica Bodden
"Describe him to me."

Jenny Nunez
"He is tall. He had a bald head. He had tattoos on both hands. He stepped in and said that he needed some drink, and a girl to take him home."

Monica Bodden
"So he stepped in and said that he needed some drinks, and he needs a girl to take home."

Jenny Nunez
"Well actually, we just saw him and I was surprised that he would come and speak to us like that. It's the first that that something happened like this. She came and she just turned and stepped outside. When she stepped outside, he followed her. She started to talk."

Monica Bodden
"Did she know him? Did it appear that they were friends?"

Jenny Nunez
"It appeared that they were friends because she was talking to her. They started kissing and hugging. She stepped outside, and he followed her. They started to talk outside. I don't know what they were talking about. I was inside, and I just saw when she stepped outside. He followed her, and they started to talk. He took her, and she said that she would come back, and that I should wait for her. I was waiting for her until about 2:30, and she didn't come back. When I saw that she didn't come back, I thought she was doing something. What do you think? She is already an adult. People can't stop her."

Monica Bodden
"Describe the vehicle. Did you see the vehicle see the vehicle that she left off in?"

Jenny Nunez
"I just saw the vehicle like the color of his shirt."

Monica Bodden
"A pickup truck?"

Jenny Nunez
"4X4."

Monica Bodden
"So, you saw them leave together."

Jenny Nunez
"Yes, I saw her."

When Susanna Romero did not return home that night, her family became worried and went to the police station to make a missing person report.

Silvia Lopez - Mother
"We were looking for her all around the village. I put gas into a vehicle and went to look for her in the Mango Walk area and then the next day was when we found her. The police never helped me to find her it was the community who form a search team and help to find my daughter."

5 days later and the body of the 25 year old woman was found near a pasture in the village by a group of children. It was in a state of decomposition - partly nude. Her eyes and hands were missing.

Jennifer Lopez - Villager
"Some little kids came out shouting that there was a dead woman and we were on the way already because we were searching for her at the time. The kids were cry and they told us that the lady was on the side of the street. When we got there the body was already decomposed. It didn't have any eyes. He arms were missing. All she had on was her bra and her blouse rolled up and her breast was showing. She didn't have on any pants nor underwear."

Today home for 25 year old Susanna Romero is at the Bella Vista cemetery. She leaves behind her 2 sons - only 7 and 8 years old. All her grieving mother could ask for is justice - is though the grim reality is, she is never coming back.



Silvia Lopez - Mother
"I feel broken because they took away my daughter from me in a cruel manner and I want justice because just like how they did with my daughter they can do to anyone else. She left behind two children orphan and I want justice. I want him to pay back for what he did. He doesn't have a heart."

And the family is pointing fingers at the police department for insensitivity and slacking up. Romero's body was found 8:30 on Monday morning and was left to lay there and extra 24 hours until a doctor arrived to conduct the post-mortem. While that was happening, the family member's claims that a dog was eating their loved one's body.

Silvia Lopez - Mother
"The police said that the post-mortem guy was not in the country and they can't move the body until the doctor gets there. But I know the doctor was in the country."



Vanessa Espinoza - Villager
"When we find the body, something hurt me. It hurt a lot because the sister, when she came from Belmopan, left the body. Only one police took care of the body. When she came from Belmopan, and she went and saw the body. A dog was eating it. It hurts. They can't leave it like that. A dog ate my friend, Susana's body."

But why would someone want to murder this young woman? The man whom she was last seen leaving off with is not from the village. That night he was in the area bar hopping. This one woman had an encounter with him on that same night.



Mirabella Lopez - Villager
"The man wanted to take me. He came into my bar and forced me to drink a beer but I didn't. I was trying to close my bar but he was insisting that I drink the beer. Then he grabbed my hand and pulled me towards him and I told him no. He showed me money and told me money isn't his problem that he had a lot of money and how much I wanted. Then me and my husband left and we reached to the corner by the bar called Coco Loco and the man continued straight up ahead."

Vanessa Espinoza - Villager
"When the police got to Susana's mother's house, we told him that we want justice for Susana. We can't leave it like that. If he did that, prove that he did it. He told us, 'Yes, Miss, we have evidence because when we found the body, we found a bottle of the liquor that he was drinking that night. That is the proof. They have evidence in the car. They found blood. The have the car at the police station. The last person who saw Susana is the owner of the bar. He told Susana not to go, but she still went with the white man. The owner of told the police that. Why haven't they proven that? They said that they were sure. We are human and we need some justice and somebody to support us"

For Susanna's friends and family and entire community - they want justice!

Elida Ortiz - Villager
"I feel sad and hurt for what they did to her because she wasn't a bad girl. She wasn't the type of girl to go with any men that she didn't know. That is something that could happen to any woman. Why did it happen to her? She didn't used to go out with anybody. She would only go out with her cousin. She is not the type to go with men for money, so I don't know why they did that to her. I just want justice."

Vanessa Espinoza
"I want to tell the police and the Government, we need justice. Everyone in this world are the same. It doesn't matter if you are Indian, dark, Spanish. We are the same thing in the hands of the Lord. Please, help us."

Yesterday the police press office reported that one person was detained pending investigation and 2 motor vehicles were impounded. There has been no update on that and the Police Press Officer has told us he will no longer respond to inquiries from 7news.

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