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Special Constable Killed In Roaring Creek; It Was No Accident
posted (April 3, 2013)
A police special constable was murdered last night in Roaring Creek - and this was no accident, by all appearances his killers lay in wait for him and killed him with ruthless precision.

Monica Bodden found out more about the disturbing murder of Constable 380 Bertchel Ramirez:

Monica Bodden Reporting

When we arrived at the murder scene early this morning, police officers were still searching the area thoroughly with k-9 dogs.

Police believe 4 men - 3 of whom are villagers of Roaring Creek were involved in the murder of Police Officer Bertchel Ramirez. So far they have detained 2 of the 4 men and are still looking for the other two. No murder weapon has yet been found.

The execution of PC Ramirez happened in an area known as "Another World" in the village of Roaring Creek - just before 11 o'clock last night.

The 36 year old police officer was ambushed by 4 men while driving his blue Toyota Camry.

Ramirez had just left the home of his girlfriend 23 year old Suley Valencia when the incident happened just up the street.

Lazaro Valencia - Father-in-law of Deceased
"Last night, this is what happened; last night quarter pass 11 more or less quarter - twenty, nothing later than that and nothing earlier, my daughter and my son-in-law was parked in front of my yard right here, parked right there. My next daughter came out from her room and asked her, 'Suley, you're going or will you stay?' So, she decided to keep their company, my 2 girls along with my son-in-law and just about 250 to 300 feet from here 2 shots went off "bang, bang" that time my son-in-law vehicle turn to go down this way here."

Reporter
"He just left?"

Lazaro Valencia
"He wasn't leaving; he just shut the door and moved off to see who this one person was who was shooting from far away. When the person ran and reached by the curve, that's where 3 more persons ambushed the man. Then he tried to turn, but when he turned, he ran into a small little drain where the car couldn't turn. Right there, that's when we heard more or less between 12 to 15 bullets right behind one another. One of the young men who stays with us right here right now, said, "Uncle, he's dead.' I ran towards that area, while my wife, son and daughter already moved ahead of me. I saw 3 persons run towards the car, and peeped to make sure that the person dead, that's why I was."

Reporter
"You saw this?"

Lazaro Valencia
"Yes, I'm telling you what I saw. The person, but to tell you who he is, I can't because he was a good distance away from me, but in body size and height, I explained to the officers it's who. When I moved them my daughter called the man by his name, "wake up, what happen", all - I put my hand on his chest - me. I put my hand on his chest and I felt 2 little beats, then I moved my hand and spun around and I cried, I said, 'baby, this poor man is dead.'"

PC Ramirez was shot inside his vehicle twice -once to the shoulder and once to the head. Police have retrieved a dozen expended shells, some live rounds and a magazine from off the scene.

And while last night's murder happened just yards away from Ramirez's girlfriend's home, police believe that their main suspect is the ex-boyfriend of Ramirez's girlfriend - who had recently been released from prison.

Lazaro Valencia - Father-in-law of Deceased
"That poor boy died and those 4 killers, those 4 killers that were there, 3 ran back that way, and 1 ran up the street but who they are, I can't say it. In height and in body I more or less explained to the officers how the body looked, how tall and everything."

Monica Bodden
"How long was this policeman going out with your daughter?"

Lazaro Valencia
"They live together from last year, about almost a year now or little bit less than a year. Every evening, when the man comes from work, he work - he does his duty and when he is finished with his duties he goes at the mall to work, then when he stops work at the mall 9:30 - 10 then he comes to pick up my daughter. Then, they go home every evening, because he said he will not leave her at Belmopan alone because she's lonely. So my daughter comes home, and every night he comes, pick her up and they go home. But last night, the devil was out last night and God will catch then and only skin them alive. God will skin them alive. If I had a gun, I would have took down 2 of them when I was running across to the man."

Neighbors heard the gunshots but many were too afraid to go outside their homes to see what was happening.

Voice of Neighbor
"When I got up, I heard "pow, pow, but I woke up to use the bathroom. I didn't believe that those were gunshots. And when I heard again "pow, pow, pow,pow, I fell, and when I fell on the floor I peed myself. I couldn't go on my toilet again, so I stayed down there. Then I heard they said this, that - I don't really know what I heard."

Reporter
"But you heard a conversation between them"

Voice of Neighbor
"I heard conversation but what - I slept it out, to tell you the truth even if I dream I sleep it out."

Reporter
"You found out this morning when you woke up?"

Voice of: Neighbor
"This morning when I woke they said somebody dead, but still I didn't really came out of my house because I know it's me alone here and I'm afraid."

PC Ramirez was the father of 3 children and has been working in Belmopan for the last 6 years. Today we caught up with his mother at the Belmopan police Station and she shared with us how she received the tragic news of her son's death.

Deborah Ramirez - Mother of Deceased
"My other son called me from Ladyville. He is a BDF and that's the way I got to learn the news."

Monica Bodden
"What was the news?"

Deborah Ramirez
"He told me that his brother got shot up. I told him not to run those kinds of jokes with me. So he said, 'No mom, I'm calling to tell you the truth.' I said, 'Boy I'm not playing with you I'm sleeping, don't kill me.' He said, 'No mom I won't kill you, but there it goes.' From there Superintendent Guzman called me, then Mr. Martinez, then the Dangriga Police came to my house and from there I got a lot of phone calls, text and just like that it went. Then this morning I came to Belmopan, I went and saw the body."

Reporter
"You seem to be taking this very well; what keeps you going so strong?"

Deborah Ramirez
"Prayers and faith, you believe in God, he give you everything strong."

Monica Bodden
"You were also close to your son right? Can you tell us about that relationship?"

Deborah Ramirez
"My friend, he learns to make a home from me because that's what I do in Dangriga, so he comes to Belmopan as a police officer, he has to pay my house rent and chips in with little that I want along with the other BDF son that I have and he makes a 'Sahao' here in Belmopan. They call him police-a-how, so he goes all around this office here in Belmopan and say, 'this is how.'"

Monica Bodden
"How old was your son?"

Deborah Ramirez
"He's 36 years old."

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