By Belize Live News Staff: A Guatemalan national was fatally shot in his room in Cotton Tree Village, Cayo District, in the early hours of Sunday morning, September 1st, 2024.
The victim, identified as Otoniel Perez Mateo, 31, a bartender at Naomi’s, was reportedly asleep when two Hispanic men entered his yard and began knocking on his door. Mateo opened the door, and a fight broke out, followed by two gunshots.
Neighbors who heard the commotion found Mateo lying motionless on the ground. The assailants were seen fleeing the scene on foot. Mateo was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 4:00 am.
Police visited the scene and canvassed the area but did not find any expended shells. Mateo’s body is currently at the Western Regional Hospital Morgue awaiting a post-mortem examination.
The motive for the killing remains unclear. Police are investigating the incident.
