7 News Belize

Family Takes A Stand For Baby Alyssa
posted (March 5, 2018)
For the past five days the nation's attention has been fixed on the terrible and tragic case of Baby Alyssa Nunez - the 17 month victim of sexual and physical abuse so violent that it left her brain dead in the hospital.

Well, she died on Sunday morning, leaving a deep wound imprinted on the national psyche - with everyone asking: how could this happen? And, who would do such a horrible thing?

And since then all attention has focused Everal Ezekiel Martinez - the 21 year old stepfather who was charged on Friday for dangerous harm to the child. We know, everyone is saying he should be charged with far worse, and that situation is evolving this evening.

We'll tell you about that shortly, but first to the scene at the court today where Baby Alyssa's family held a protest in the Battlefield Park to coincide with his arraignment - Courtney Weatherburne was there.

Courtney Weatherburne reporting
After 4 days in the hospital fighting to stay alive, baby Alyssa Nunez died early Sunday morning.

Voice of: Terrance Nunez, Father
"She died on Sunday at 3:40 am in the morning."

"From the beginning she went in there the doctor already had a heads up on what was going to happen so I mean it is so devastating at this time, words can't even explain right now."

Protestors chanting
"We want justice now."

But one word that baby Alyssa's family can muster the strength and courage to utter is justice. Relatives and concerned citizens all gathered at the Battlefield Park for the arraignment of Baby Alyssa's stepfather - 21 year old Everald Martinez. He allegedly sexually molested and harmed the one year old.

The crowd waited and looked on beyond the barricade tape - all raw, heartbroken and desperate for answers.

Shanice Nunez, Alyssa's Cousin
"The mother can't say she is feeling because I don't believe that."

"She knows something that she is not telling us. We want her to talk."

Courtney Weatherburne, reporter
"She herself hasn't come with an explanation, he hasn't said anything about what exactly happened?"

Shanice Nunez, Alyssa's Cousin
"No."

Voice of: Terrance Nunez, Father
"This situation has me so twisted you know it is all crazy at this time."

Courtney Weatherburne
"And I see you very calm right now but I know inside you are enraged?"

Voice of: Terrance Nunez, Father
"Not enraged I don't fight fire with fire, that is one thing I won't do, I will leave it in the Lord's hand."

Courtney Weatherburne
"If you had an opportunity to speak to the accused or the person who did this to your baby what would you say, how would you react?"

Voice of: Terrance Nunez, Father
"To be honest, I will not comment on it because there is a difference between seeing him and then thinking about it so if they do give me a chance to see him, I don't even, you know I don't, it is just crazy right now."

Elton Jenkins, Godfather
"We need to see justice for the kids who are getting,..you know, mein this is real. This is real sad."

"This is a hard thing for us as a community seeing these things happen, we have to make these things stop."

Mark Reneau, Protester
"Our country is going apart, our principles, our moral values are no longer here and we need to take that back."

"What happened to this baby Alyssa is I don't know how to express it."

Mary Nunez, Paternal Grandmother
"That is my baby, when she come to me, I do much with my baby, I call her mama. When she come I have a dress, I sit on the verandah with my baby and I tell her come rock with granny and we rock."

"I love my baby, that is my Angel."

Mark Reneau, Protester
"This is about justice, she deserves justice and every other kid that didn't get justice, now is the time, as this poster reads. And I urge everyone, from high school, to middle school to university, everybody in Belize needs to come out and support, if this were to happen to any of your kids what would you do?"

And that is certainly a question no parent would ever want to have to answer.

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