By Belize Live News Staff: Authorities in Orange Walk are investigating the murder of a taxi driver who was stabbed to death by a passenger before crashing his vehicle and succumbing to his injuries on Wednesday night.
At 8:36 p.m., police responded to West San Martin Street, Trial Farm Village, where they found a Jetta Volkswagen taxi crashed into a metal gate. Lying just outside the driver’s door was 51-year-old Romualdo Bartolo Vasquez, a resident of Trial Farm Village, with multiple stab wounds.
According to initial reports, Vasquez had dropped off a passenger when an argument escalated into violence. The suspect brandished a knife and stabbed Vasquez before fleeing the scene. Despite being critically injured, Vasquez attempted to drive toward the Philip Goldson Highway but lost control at the corner of Black Water Street and West San Martin Street and crashed. He managed to exit the vehicle but collapsed on the street, where he was found unresponsive.
The crime scene was processed by a Scene of Crime (SOC) technician, and police recovered a stainless steel knife with a yellow handle from inside the taxi. The victim was transported to the Northern Regional Hospital Morgue, where a doctor pronounced him dead at 10:38 p.m.
Authorities say no suspects have been detained, and the suspect’s identity remains unknown. The investigation is ongoing, and police are urging witnesses or anyone with information to assist in identifying the perpetrator.
This remains a developing story, and updates will be provided as new details emerge.
