7 News Belize

Mayhem In Ladyville: Three Injured, One Dead, 20 Shots Fired
posted (May 16, 2016)
One man is dead and 3 others are injured after a wild weekend shootout in Ladyville - where almost two dozen shots were fired. It happened early Saturday morning just after midnight. 23 year old Casey Lozano along with 3 others were hanging outside the Lozano family home when 3 gunmen appeared out of the bushed and opened fire on them. One of the men from the Lozano crew shot back and it's during that exchange of fire that one of the 3 attackers - 21 year old Lionel Rhamdas - was shot and killed. Courtney Weatherburne went to Ladyville and got the full overview of what led to this fatal shooting.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
The Japan area of Ladyville has become a danger zone after the well-known street figure Rene "Fat Cat" Chavarria was murdered in March.

Chavarria was shot and killed on Friday March 18th.

He was heading home when 2 men shot at him on Marage Road. He ran off but his attackers followed him and finished him off with 3 shots. Then, about 3 weeks after Chavarria's execution, 18 year old Merkel Pitts was murdered on that same Marage Road.

He was hanging out here in this yard when a man came up and shot at him. It is believed that this was a retaliatory shooting - Pitts was murdered to send a message to Chavarria's killer.

But things only got more complicated when an eyewitness in Chavarria's murder spoke out - claiming to know the identity of Fat Cat's killer.

After that, Ladyville food vendor Cynthia Lozano and her sons have been targeted.

Lozano's Marage Road house was shot up on April 16th but no one was hurt.

The narrative is that villagers think that it is one of Lozano's sons who spoke out as that eyewitness in Chavarria's slaying. Police told us that it could also be that people believe one of Lozano's sons may be involved in Chavarria's murder. But Lozano spoke to us after that Saturday morning shooting to set the record straight.

FILE: April 19, 2016
Cynthia Lozano, House was shot up
"We gave no interview, absolutely none. This is the first interview I am giving, I didn't even give one yesterday, we know nothing. We didn't give an interview to the police and none came to us. We did not give an interview to the media."

But it seems like some were not convinced and Lozano's home came under fire again over the weekend. Around 12:00 Saturday morning Lozano, her husband and a few other family members were inside the house, while 2 of her sons along with 2 other friends were hanging out on this picnic bench. But that's when 3 gunmen approached - 2 came from behind the house and 1 came up to the front. The gunmen opened fire on the 4 men who were on the picnic table. One of the 4 men then returned fire and during those blasts of bullets one of the gunmen was shot and killed, 21 year old Lionel Rhamdas. After the explosion of gunfire subsided, Rhamdas' body was found curled on the road with his gun in his hand and with a shot to the back of his head. Now police say they are not ruling Rhamdas' death as a murder as yet because there are 2 perspectives that need to be explored.

ACP Edward Broaster, O. C. Eastern Rural Division
"We are investigating this shooting from 2 angles. We believe that the gunmen, after firing shots in the premises, chased Lozano and Terrence Flowers. We believe that someone from the premises may have fired the fatal shot that fatally wounded Lionel Rhamdas in defence of the 2 other fleeing victims. As well as, it could have been friendly fire from the gunmen who were doing the shooting. But from the information which we have gathered, we more lean to one where it is defence of the 2 fleeing victims."

But besides the investigation, police still need to make sure the community is safe and that there are no more vengeful acts.

ACP Edward Broaster, O. C. Eastern Rural Division
"We have had covert and overt operations in the area to try and mitigate this very problem that we encountered on Saturday morning. This is an extension of the shooting death of Mr. Rene Chavaria. We are putting everything possible in place to try and stay-off the retaliation."

And that is what Cynthia Lozano fears: more retaliation against her sons who she says are innocent. We went to visit her at her workplace today but she declined comment. All she had to say was that she and her sons have completely lost their sense of safety after these attacks.

As we told you Rhamdas was shot to the back of his head. Casey Lozano and 2 others were also shot but they all survived. Lozano and Lyndon Gillett were hit to the arm while Lozano's neighbour Terence Flowers was shot to the hand, chest and neck. Lozano is still in the hospital under police guard. The bullet is lodged in his arm. 20 expended shells were found on the scene.

Now in terms of the investigation police are looking for these 2 men who they believe are the other 2 gunmen. They are 19 year old Darwin Estuardo Prado and 28 year old Egbert Baldwin. Police are also looking at the connection between Lionel Rhamdas and the notorious Alrick Smith - they are in laws. Police believe the shooting of Smith earlier this month might have also complicated matters in Ladyville.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize