January was a deadly month, but, very luckily in Belize City things had cooled down somewhat after the mass murder on Dean Street. But, the calm ended this morning when the city witnessed its first murder in two weeks. And it was another one of those broad daylight killings. Worse, this one happened a block away from St. Martin's De Porres Primary School - at 8:00 am, right when kids were going to school. 7news was on the scene:..
Jules Vasquez reporting
This morning, Gary Bowen's common law wife and sister had to be escorted off the scene in distress
As the 33 year old lay on the ground, dead between the sidewalk and a parked car - the wails of his family still audible. The Bullet markers where the fatal shots hit him.
Scenes of crime personnel put down 8 markers and picked up the shells, police were quick to respond, but not quick enough to stop what we are told is a petty dispute that happened around the corner - and escalated into murder.
And while his slippers were his only possession - his family says he was robbed of his bike and a few dollars he had in his pockets.
And as police took the body away what no one can figure out is why:
Reporter
"He just celebrated his 33rd birthday?"
Deamos Bowen, Father of Deceased
"Yes on Friday the 1st of February, three days after he is gone."
Deamos Bowen was Bowen's father. Today he lamented the loss of his youngest son - and his daily companion
Deamos Bowen, Father of Deceased
"There are a lot of parents now that lose their love one or their son and they boast about them. I only boast about Gary because I know him for a fact and Gary doesn't go around and mess with people. Gary is mostly a joker. Gary is a person that is all over the place because he doesn't gang bang; he doesn't have any enemy. He smokes his weed but he didn't have any enemy. Gary is not a person that hangs out, he is my only company that I have every day since I got my foot cut off. It's sad."
More sad for his common law wife - who is expecting the couple's second child in April:
Voice Of: Deseree Ortega, Common-Law Wife
"I don't know how my baby will handle it but at the ending of the day he will have to understand that he doesn't have his daddy anymore to carry him to school."
This morning, though, he couldn't pick up his son for school, because at 8:00 am, on Partridge Street he was pursued and executed:
Deamos Bowen, Father of Deceased
"He came here this morning and brought some cigarettes and gave his mother some money and he said he will be back and then about half an hour to an hour a young lady ran up the street and told me that they just shot him. She didn't told me if he was dead or not. A little while after they said that he was dead by the Amandala Press on the street."
Now, his family has to move on:
Deamos Bowen, Father of Deceased
"I don't see any reason as to why they would want to kill Gary because is not a gang banger. He is a person that works and looks after his family."
Voice of: Neighbor
"For the 11 years that I know him - I never know him as someone who gives trouble because he doesn't have any record at the station. He always try to hustle yes for his family but I never find him as someone who steals, so I don't know why this person or persons set this up or do this to him but they will pay. God knows best."
Gary Bowen's common law wife Deseree Ortega lost him and her grandmother on the same day - which also happened to be her mother's birthday. As noted in the story he was the father of an eight year old boy, and a girl on the way.
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