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Early Morning Murder In Orange Walk
posted (July 13, 2011)
There was a murder early this morning in Orange Walk Town. 23 year old Orson Adman Cardona, was shot to the midsection and died shortly after.

No one in his family seemed to know what may have motivated the killing, and Monica Bodden went to Orange Walk looking for answers:

Monica Bodden Reporting:

The shooting happened at the corner of Arthur and South Mejiba streets in Orange Walk Town - around 1:30 this morning. According to neighbors, 23 year old Orson Cardona was seen sitting on this sidewalk - holding his stomach and shouting for help.

The young man had been shot once to his abdomen - and the bullet exited through his back. He was pronounced dead by the time he arrived at the hospital.

Today his grandmother told us that her grandson originally lived in Cayo and had just come to Orange Walk on Monday in search of a job.

Eterelina Viases - Grandmother
"Monday evening."

Monica Bodden
"So he came to you on Monday evening and what happened?"

Eterelina Viases
"Nothing, he went back and he didn't come back again until yesterday."

Monica Bodden
"So from Monday you didn't see him until Tuesday at what time?"

Eterelina Viases
"More or less at about 5:30."

According to police he was walking at the corner of Arthur and South Mejiba streets when he was ambushed. Several witnesses in the area told us they saw two men on separate bicycles approach Cardona and one of them fired the shot. They say the men then rode off.

Cardona was staying at a cousin's house not too far away from where he was shot and just a couple blocks away from his grandmother's house.

Monica Bodden
"Did you hear the shot?"

Eterelina Viases
"Well I heard a shot yes, but I don't know who it was that go shot. I heard it because it wasn't far. It was the next lane."

Monica Bodden
"So you didn't know that it was your grandson?"

Eterelina Viases
"No."

Monica Bodden
"So you heard the ambulance and everything. When were you first informed that it was him."

Eterelina Viases
"This morning at around 5 o'clock."

But who would want to kill this young man? From what we gathered today, he was socializing at the Orange Walk market with 4 men earlier yesterday evening.

A small altercation broke out when one of the men who was Cardona's friend - borrowed a bicycle from the group and took too long to return it. Apparently it aggravated the men and words were exchanged between Cardona's friend and the individual.

Cardona and his friend left the spot and went home - where they continued drinking together.

According to one of Cardona's relatives, she heard him having an exchange of words on his cell phone - to some extent, was making threats.

According to that same relative - Around 11 o'clock last night Cardona received a text message from one of the 4 men he was socializing with earlier on asking to go meet him.

And 2 hours later, he was murdered.

Monica Bodden
"What type of person was he?"

Eterelina Viases
"He likes to drink. He likes the street. That's what he likes. He loves to walk on the street, and drink."

Cardona is the cousin of Orange Walk East Area Representative Marcel Cardona. He was the father of one daughter...

Police have detained two persons for questioning.

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