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Daniel Ortiz has the story:...

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Hilmar Almilla took an early morning perp walk to the Orange Walk Magistrate's Court today. The Orange Walk businessman who is better known by his middle name, "David", was arraigned on a murder charge for the shooting death of 24 year-old Daniel Sosa, his friend and fellow Orange Walk resident.

The immediate events prior to the early morning shooting on Saturday are still unclear, but the Town is in a frenzy. There are some rather unsavory rumors that have been spreading about a lawless night on the town, but what we have been able to find out for certain is that in the early hours of Saturday, Alamilla, the victim Sosa, and 2 other men were in Alamilla's pickup truck, seen here.

They were socializing at the D Gym Club and Sports Bar on Friday night, late into Saturday morning. They were parked in front of the D Victorian Hotel, and both Alamilla and Sosa were in the front seats of the truck, while two other friends were in the backseats. The two men reportedly heard the gunshot, and we are told they immediately jumped out of the vehicle.

Alamilla's truck is captured on this surveillance footage from the Shell Gas Station at around 5:21 a.m. David Sosa's family members believe that this was when Alamilla opened the door, pushed his body out the truck, and drove home. A few minutes later, a watchman went to see the cause the commotion, and that's when he found Sosa's body on the ground.

Police were called about 15 minutes later, and they found Sosa's body beside the Hotel's garbage area, where he had been flung.

We also found Alamilla's truck with a bullet hole clearly visible in the glass window of the passenger seat. The New Orange Walk Police Commander was careful not to get into any revealing detail.

Sr.Supt. David Chi - OC, Orange Walk Police
"About 5:35am on Saturday, police visited the D Victoria parking lot based on information received, where a male person was seen lying face down with injuries to the head. The person was removed from there, taken to the Northern Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty. Police further carried out investigation into the matter where 3 persons were detained and later one Hilmar Alamilla was arrested and charged for murder."

Reporter
"So is it believed that Mr. Alamilla shot and killed Mr. Sosa?"

Sr.Supt. David Chi - OC, Orange Walk Police
"Based on our investigation, hence why he was charged."

Richard "Dickie" Bradley - Attorney for Hilmar Alamilla
"He was arraigned this morning in front of the senior magistrate in Orange Walk Mr. Albert Hoare on a single count of murder. The accusation is that on the 29th of July in the early morning that he caused the death of Daniel Sosa. My understanding that in fact they were out all night with other friends socializing, there was as best we can tell from witnesses and witnesses who gave statements, there was no argument, no hard talk, no nothing between them. They are friends. They were leaving together in the vehicle which is parked in the police compound when suddenly a shot rang out and what we can tell is that in fact the fatal shot that caused Daniel to lose his life."

From Bradley's perspective, the charge of murder is excessive, and the prosecution will have difficulty proving Alamilla's intent to kill his friend.

Richard "Dickie" Bradley
"The charge of murder I don't think when the DPP looks at the available evidence, they may opt to change that charge to a lesser charge involving causing death. The issue of murder means you intentionally want to kill someone and all the available evidence is that a shot went off either accidentally or through carelessness or negligence. There was no intention to kill anybody. This is just a very unfortunate matter that has caused the loss of life."

But, he'll have the most difficult time convincing Daniel Sosa's family. They strongly believe that Alamilla was cruel in the way he ended their loved-one's life. Sources tell us that after he went home, he told his wife what happened, and it was she who called the police.

Richard "Dickie" Bradley
"He was in a complete state of shock. He hurriedly drove home, told his wife what occurred and requested her to call the police which she did. I understand that most of Saturday he was not in a position to really give a coherent explanation, because he was in a state of shock that someone who he knows very closely lost his life in his vehicle."

And while police would have you believe that that this just another murder investigation in which one man was shot dead, and the main suspect was charge for murder, it certainly is not.

The press and the general public was prevented from entering the Magistrate court to listen to Hilmar Alamilla's arraignment. The police officers on-duty gave us ever changing reasons why we couldn't enter, and banned us from the court until Alamilla was arraigned.

So, are the cops playing favorites with this defendant because he's a close associate of the UDP's Gaspar Vega?

Supt. David Chi
"Mr. Ortiz, I don't own the court, so I don't know what was the magistrate instructions. I can't answer that. You would probably go over there and ask the magistrate or the clerk of court and they would be able to answer that question. I don't know what transpired in respect to that particular incident."

Reporter
"Or perhaps was it that your officers were playing preferential treatment for Mr. Alamilla?"

Supt. David Chi
"I will not speculate and say the officer is.... let's be realistic. I am honest with you saying to you that I don't know what transpired there."

Reporter
"Can you assure us that police are treating this particular incident with the same brush that you would any other incident, especially because Mr. Alamilla is closely associated with the Orange Walk elected politician Mr. Gaspar Vega?"

Supt. David Chi
"Mr. Ortiz what you are asking doesn't matter or important to me. A person lost his life, we did an investigation, it leads to Mr. Alamilla as the accused right now and he has been charged. Whatever people think or whatever they feel or whatever the political side - that's their business. I am a police officer and I will do whatever I have to do. Let justice be. At the day of the hearing of the trial the outcome - that's it. Justice. That's my job."

But, we sought an audience with Magistrate Hoare today, who asserted in the strongest terms that he never and would never give any such order, since this case does not involve a minor. So, did those officers take unilateral decisions to block the press and the public from hearing Alamilla's arraignment? Whatever the case, it's only caused more feverish speculation in this case which has seen one of the big men of Orange Walk Town remanded to prison, as an alleged murder.

We spoke to several members of Daniel Sosa's family. While they declined on-camera comment, they told us that he is the youngest of 3 brothers in the family. They describe him as sociable person who was friendly with everyone.

We note that both the families of the deceased and the accused have close social connections to Gaspar Vega.