7 News Belize

Man Killed On Busy Street, 5th City Murder in Four Days
posted (October 29, 2012)
On Friday night a 30 year old man was killed in Belize city, making it five murders in the city in four days. Joseph Hector Almendarez was killed in a very deliberate fashion; he was shot 7 times after a trio of gunman fired 9 times at him at close range.

It happened on a busy street at an active time of night. Monica Bodden found out more:..

Monica Bodden reporting
30 year old Hector Conorquie was violently gunned down on Mahogany Street.

It happened just before 8 o'clock on Friday night- while Conorquie was walking towards the direction of Western Avenue.

According to police 3 men passed him and began shooting. As many as 9 shots were fired- 7 of them hitting him. Conorquie was rushed to the KHMH - but was pronounced dead only minutes after.

Raphael Martinez - Police Press Officer
"On Friday October 26, at about 8:20 pm Police visited the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where they saw 30 year old Joseph Hector Almendarez of 6866 Electric Avenue Belize with apparent multiple gunshot wounds to the body. Initial investigations revealed that Almendarez was walking on Mahogany Street towards the direction of Western Avenue when upon reaching the junction with Administrative Drive 3 male persons reportedly of creole decent pass him and fired several shots at him causing the fatal injuries. Joseph Hector Almendarez was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital where he succumbs to his injuries and was pronounced dead at 8:15 pm on the same date of the 26th October."

"Police retrieved 9 - 9mm expended casing from the scene and have detained a Belize City man and are seeking two others in connection with this murder."

Hector Conorquie was shot to his left upper hand, left side of his chest, right rib cage, right lower back, right upper arm, right leg and to the upper center of his back. He received a total of 7shots.

Nine 9 millimeter shells were recovered from off the scene and so far police have detained one man and are still looking for 2 others.

In an off camera interview with his mother today, she told us how she received the news about her son.

Voice of: Karen Almendarez - Mother of Decease
"I was at home watching TV. After watching TV I went across to my neighbor and ask what will played for boledo because I wanted to win big in boledo to go shopping at Courts sales on Saturday, that's when a little boy came and told me my son Hector has just been killed. I keep telling no that it was not Hector. I heard the sirens and the ambulance and the commotion out on Mahogany Street but we were still laughing and talking with the neighbors not believing that I will get the sad news that son was killed."

By the time Almendarez got to the hospital - her son was already dead. He was pronounced dead at approximately 8:15 on Friday night.

Conorquie was at his mother's house only 3 hours before he was gun down.

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Decease
"He came and asks me for ten dollars and I ask him when was he going up back to village. He said that he was going up back on Saturday morning; he said that he will return back for twenty dollars on Saturday morning. I ask if he was sure and he told me to stop worrying and that he was going up. I gave him ten dollars and went back downstairs and got on his bicycle and that was the last."

Marion Ali, reporter
"What's your understanding of what happened?"

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Decease
"To tell the truth I haven't gotten any understanding because it's like back and forth, so I haven't gotten any understanding yet."

Marion Ali, reporter
"Why do you think they killed him? They shot him about 7 times."

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Decease
"Seven times I understand but I don't know for what apparent reason what had happen because I cannot give an account about what happened out there and probably don't know anything."

Marion Ali, reporter
"Did he have any problems with anyone?"

Karen Almendarez - Mother of Decease
"According to what he told me no, nothing he doesn't have with anybody. If it was for the other brother - he doesn't have anything to do with the other brother situation because yes I have a son who is nothing to the good Lord nor to the police because he is like the devil to the police. This one here ( I am not saying that he was a saint, but give the devil what he is due) he was a good person."

And for Hector's father, losing his son to gun violence is a pain he has to relive once more - Is 2006, his youngest son - Randy Conorquie -who was an innocent bystander, was also gunned down. Randy was only 14 years old when he got caught in a crossfire. He too received 7 shots.

Hector Conorquie Sr- Father of Decease
"Randy Conorquie and now Joseph Conorquie Jr. - I just want them to try stop those type of killings that they called revenge. They have to try slow down with it because the parents are feeling it. I don't know what they call themselves for them to be killing one another. The point is that all of them are black people and they do not understand that. They are killing out all the black people. Days to come by we will not have any black people in this country because we are killing out one another for nothing."

"I call it a personal revenge killing but I mean if somebody did something and they want to come and say its revenge because of that - then they are continuing to carry it on. They have to stop that because they are hurting one another - like the parents are hurting. They have to stop that - by feeling good that they hurt somebody - that is out of the question - that is wrong. I talked to him many a times but as young people they have their own advice. You tell them one thing and when you turn your back they go and do something else, so, all we can do is give them advice, we are not with them to see what they are doing. You can say that they are good or bad person because when we are not around we don't know what they do."

Almendarez has three children.

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