3 murders during holiday weekend

Jason Pott

Belize City, March 7, 2011

For a few weeks at least, the spate of gun violence seemed to have faded away but a resurgence in the volatile streets of Belize City was imminent.

That was proven this past holiday weekend when three more bodies had to be transported to hospital morgues following separate killings in the old capital and Roaring Creek Village.

On Saturday afternoon, 27 year old Jason Pott, who is the father of two toddlers, was ambushed by a group of attackers as he left his girlfriend’s home.  During the attack, one of the men stabbed Pott with a sharp object.

Pott was being taken by a friend to the Hospital on a bicycle, when Police officers reportedly knocked them off the bicycle.  Upon learning that he had been stabbed, the authorities took him to the hospital, but he died while undergoing treatment.

Pott’s attacker has been identified as Devon Goodger, who is a neighbour of Pott’s girlfriend.

Reports are that the men got into problems after Pott accused Goodger of stealing a bicycle several months ago.

The killing in Roaring Creek has left the family of 24 year old Lorenzo Ho stunned, as their loved one had celebrated his birthday on Saturday, March 5th.  But instead of birthday cards, the family is receiving letters of grief and condolences after the young man was chopped, stabbed and beaten so badly, he died while undergoing treatment.

Lorenzo Ho

The incident occurred on Sunday morning, after Ho had spent the night out celebrating.  Reports are that Ho returned to his relative’s house when he saw that another man, identified as Erazmo Lino, was talking to his family.  Ho allegedly went inside the house and got a screw driver and threatened Lino with the sharp object. A fight started, and Ho reportedly inflicted injuries on Lino, who retaliated and caused the fatal injuries.

Lino was detained by Police, and charged for the crime of murder.  He was arraigned in Court and remanded to prison until May 3rd.

The third homicide of the holiday weekend occurred inside a Chinese store on Vernon Street.  The owner of the store, 53 year old Bing Chang Zhao, was found with a cut wound to his face.

Neighbors have reported that on Friday night they heard Zhao and his son arguing fiercely, and then on Saturday morning the Police were called in to find Zhao’s lifeless body.

Zhao’s son was detained by Police, but after a police post mortem revealed that the businessman died of Bronchial Aspiration due to a sharp blunt wound to the face, the son was re-arrested.  Police have found no evidence of forced entry into the store.

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