The Christmas Holidays were mostly peaceful across Belize - particularly in the city where only one non-fatal shooting was reported. And we might have gotten through Christmas and Boxing day without a murder were it not for a crazy event last night in Hopkins. It resulted in the killing of a minor, a 17 year old who was caught up in a misunderstanding with a much older man.
Daniel Ortiz found out about the demise of Luke Dayton Nunez, Jr:..
Daniel Ortiz reporting
While the rest of the country was enjoying the end of Boxing Day, the family of 17 year-old Luke Nunez Jr. was mourning his untimely death.
When we caught up with them today, their grief was still fresh; they couldn't accept that he was no longer with them.
Police say that his alleged killer has since been picked up.
Sgt. Wilfredo Ferrufino - OIC Dangriga CIB
"On the 26th Dangriga Police visited the Emergency Room at the Southern Regional where they observed a male individual suffering from stab wounds to the right side of his chest and his head. The victim was Luke Nunez Jr. of Hopkins Village. He succumbed to his injuries whilst undergoing treatment."
"The Investigations revealed that he and one Wilfred Garcia was in altercation earlier that day in Hopkins Village when Garcia Inflicted injuries to him."
Immediately after the stabbing took place, Nunez alerted his family of the dire condition he was in.
Elta Augustine - Aunt of Deceased
"Last night when they informed me I went straight to the health center. When I arrive I saw him there on the bed. The doctor was trying to stabilize him. I was insisting that the ambulance came because we were there like about 30-45 minutes and the ambulance didn't come. I insisted that we took him but the doctor says that we couldn't move him because he needs the oxygen. Afterwards the ambulance came, then we got on the ambulance and transported him to Dangriga myself, his uncle and two nurses."
He was still alive at that time, but he sensed that he was passing away. He then started to bid his farewells.
Elta Augustine - Aunt of Deceased
"He and I were talking, I ask him who did it but he was talking out of context; whatever I ask him, he wasn't answering to the point, so I thought that he was losing a lot of blood. He says "auntie I love you, take care of my mother, I am getting weak and I will die," I told him to hold up baby because we need to reach to the hospital then everything will be okay, he says okay and to help him breathe. I tied to maintain an open airway for him because he says that he is not breathing, and so we reach at the hospital but by the time we roll him out of the ambulance his eyes start to roll over. I don't really want to see because it really hurt me, but when we were carrying him in the ambulance I see blood was gushing from like under his diaphragm and I see a stab wound on his chest. I never saw his head, it was bandage, I want focus on any injuries, I just wanted him to survive."
At 17 years old, Nunez was much too young to die, and his family says that it is an end he didn't deserve:
Elta Augustine - Aunt of Deceased
"Junior was a cool and respectable young man. He will not stray because his grandfather, my dad is always there for him and try to counsel him to never have bad friends."
Nunez recently graduated from high school - his 18th birthday would have been early next month.
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