Tonight, the family, friends and associates of 45 year-old taxi driver Jose Marin Umana Aguilar continue to grieve his loss after he was found dead in an area between the George Price Boulevard and the Western Highway yesterday.
His death comes as a shock to his family because according to them, he was very hard-working and quiet family man. More than that, his wife says he strictly avoids alcohol, drugs and bad company.
She explained to us today how she realized that something was wrong when he didn't answer his phone.
Lucia Aleman - Wife of Deceased
"I called him and he didn't answer the phone but it was ringing then I insisted an entire hour calling him and I didn't know why he didn't answer the phone. That night he went missing I was looking for him like crazy because he's a person that never turns off his phone on me, it doesn't matter if he's mad he still answers the phone. Seven years we're married and he has never stayed out at night and that night he did and I couldn't believe it."
ASP Sinquest Martinez - OC, Belmopan Police
"The wife of the now deceased visited us on Sunday pertaining to the missing person. As soon as that report was being made, we activated and with the assistance of the public in Ontario village we managed to locate the vehicle the said Sunday. From there we started to pursue all leads, the searches were conducted with the assistance of the Taxi Association and other family members that I need to applaud to - because we were working closely."
Lucia Aleman
"I paid people, people came voluntary everyday from Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday - 150 persons came out everyday - even me. Everybody was searching for him and everybody was going to Cayo. A resort that is here lent us a canoe and nothing because I said maybe they threw him in the river."
ASP Sinquest Martinez
"There's an area well known that bodies had been found or had been dumped so we combed that entire area and the body was found on Wednesday on the opposite side of the George Price highway. There were physical signs of violence and the post mortem was conducted, I haven't gotten the official report as yet for me to divulge information. He was last seen in the Markeyt Square area with a patron and that was the last time he was seen and heard from."
Lucia Aleman
"He's a man that never goes out, he doesn't smoke, he doesn't like to hang with drunking people and he doesn't like to keep on the roads. So that to me I don't know why - something went wrong. If somebody saw something, I ask that they talk to the police."
ASP Sinquest Martinez
"There are several information that we have that we are following and only by following that information then we could actually know what took place. There are several information that I wish not to divulge because the investigation is still going on and we want to see which one is the right but we are following all information received."
According to Lucia Aleman, his taxi was recovered without any damage, but his wallet had been stolen. According to her, he had $5,000 cash on him the day he went missing, proceeds from a car he had just sold. This cash was also missing when the body and the car were found.
She told us that he usually buys vehicles, fixes them up, and then sells them.
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