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CITCO Apologizes to Family For Mess At Cemetery
Mon, January 7, 2013
Last week, 7News told you about the unsteady transition that the Belize City Council made in relation to their assumption of responsibility for Cemetery services, including the construction of new graves.

Well tonight, things are still bumpy because another family has complained that this so-called "quality control" that Mayor Darrell Bradley is trying to work on apparently didn't apply to their dead loved-ones grave.

The Hylton Family, who came forward last week to complain that police aren't properly investigating the death of 76 year-old Hector Hylton, contacted us to say that CitCo didn't construct his grave properly.

Here's how that conversation went about the grave they had to bury their loved one in this weekend:

Daniel Ortiz
"I imagine that you all feel that it is disrespect to the family and to his memory that his grave is poorly done."

Deltrude Hylton - Daughter of Deceased
"That's right,"

Daniel Ortiz
"What's the response that you've received from City Council?"

Deltrude Hylton - Daughter of Deceased
"Like I said Mr. Phillip Willoughby was the person I spoke to about 11:30 there about and that's after I went to see 3 different persons who were not there. I finally saw him coming out of one of the office down the stairs and I told him what I wanted and he said that he will call the person that is in charge. So then he called Mr. Percy Murillo who then said that they are going to re-build the grave and he told me that we can check by 3pm because by then it should be done. If it is not done, it should be in process."

Daniel Ortiz
"I don't think that you all are happy that it has to be redone in the first place right?"

Deltrude Hylton - Daughter of Deceased
"No we are not because we should have gotten that job done properly from the first outbreak."

Well, it's seems that City Hall has heard their complaints loud and clear, and today, City Councilor with responsibility for Sanitation Dion Leslie offered the family a public apology.

Here's how he explained to us that they've implemented new measures to ensure that there is no reccurrence:

Dion Leslie - Deputy Mayor, Sanitation
"First off I would like to apologize to the family on behalf of teh entire city council. I did go out there on Saturday. I was called by someone who attended the funeral for another incident that happened during the funeral where a grave next to their grave that they were burying their family member in collapsed, so I went out there to assess the situation and I did see the workmanship on the grave and I immediately contacted the supervisor and the manager to inquire about because I was not happy with the workmanship. For the past week we were on the media talking about quality control and why we made the decision to take over the building of graves, so when I saw that I was not happy."

"I immediate call and the explanation they gave to me was that the timeframe for the building of the graves to when the funeral happen was very short and the crew didn't have ample time to complete the grave as how we would have like which would have been the plastering and what not. To my understanding an hour after the blocks were laid is when the funeral arrived. It's not an excuse and I won't use that as an excuse for it. I will not stand for it but due to this situation now we are putting things in place where when anyone comes the Council needs at least 48 hours to properly construct a tomb so we can ensure that the cement is cured and that the blocks they stick together that everything is proper for the funeral and after that we also have ensure now that Mr. Mendoza who is the City Planner must signed off on all tombs being built."

And in relation to the circumstances surrounding Hector Hylton's death, police told the media in a press conference this morning that they've closed the case believing that he committed suicide.

They say that they've showed the family evidence in a surveillance video, but the family says it's not real. Here's how both sides explained their positions:

Supt. Alden Dawson - OC, CIB Belize City
"As it relates to Hector Hylton, initially we conducted an investigation into that allege incident and from the incept we realize that this guy did in fact committed suicide and we have gone even further to show the family a video recording where the father actually climbed up the containers and threw himself from that second container. That case as far as we are concern is closed and write off as suicide."

Deltrude Hylton - Daughter of Deceased
"Honesty speaking and you can hold me to this on record; I don't believe the tape that I have seen. To me the tape is bogus. The police went to retrieved that two days after the scenario. For me it is my belief that the police should have some form of authority that on a day like that in question - even Hough they said that the office was already closed it is their job and to me they should have that authority to tell those people to open back that office so they can see that footage."

"Then again for you to come to a conclusion - you need to have everything clear - that person that fall off that place; that image, I don't see that as my dad and there is a lot more to it that the police are not looking into. My family knew that the police has closed their case the same day they left the scene. I will tell them and I want you to air this for them to hear from me that they from in house, I heard it that they already closed the case from the day they left the scene because they said our dad committed suicide."

Daniel Ortiz
"For those of the people in the public and viewers who will see this who will say that the Hylton family is just living in denial - they don't want to accept that something like that could have happen. How do you respond to them?"

Deltrude Hylton - Daughter of Deceased
"i will not say that it couldn't have happen to us. It could happen to anybody but as far as I am concern and my family's concern we are sure - there are both us who went to see that tape and from what we saw the tape is bogus."

According to the family, Hector Hylton would not commit suicide, which is the primary reason that they refuse to accept that conclusion.

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