SAN PEDRO, Ambergris Caye, Mon. Dec.11, 2017–After being on the run for about 10 months, Vildo Westby, 35, of San Pedro, who was wanted for questioning in connection with the brutal murder of popular San Pedro activist, Felix Ayuso Jr., 44, has been captured. The long arm of the law caught up with him on Thursday, December 7, in Veracruz, Mexico, where he has been living.
The fugitive is now in the custody of Mexican police and arrangements are being made to hand him over to the Belize police.
The family of Felix Ayuso, Jr. had raised funds and offered a reward of $13,000 for information leading to the arrest of the suspected killer. Today, the sister of Felix told us that the reward has been paid to the man who gave the information that led the Mexican police to the arrest of Westby in Veracruz.
Carmen Eiley, Ayuso’s sister, told us that Westby is in custody and it is now left to the Belize authorities to have him extradited, charge him with the murder of Felix, and give him a long jail sentence. The family is depending on the authorities to ensure justice is served.
On February 2, Felix Ayuso, Jr. was found murdered in his house in San Pedro, and police launched an intense investigation, which yielded information that pointed to Vildo Westby as possibly being responsible for Ayuso’s death.
Eiley told us that they went to Veracruz after they heard that Westby had been found, to assist the Mexican police with his capture.
Felix Ayuso’s family says they are thankful to their community for their support, and all who helped in the effort to capture the suspected killer.
Felix Ayuso, Jr., was honored posthumously on World AIDS Day 2017 on Friday, December 1, 2017. The National AIDS Commission (NAC) launched its Francisco Caliz Unsung Hero Award and awarded six Belizean unsung heroes for their advocacy work on HIV/AIDS. JoVan Ayuso, the son of Felix Ayuso, Jr., accepted the award for his late father.
In recognizing Felix Ayuso, Jr., the NAC said that: Felix Ayuso was a prominent activist in the community and was the former chairperson of the San Pedro AIDS Commission, to which he devoted his time and endless love. Felix led a very successful campaign in creating awareness and educating the community about the human race’s plight against HIV and AIDS. He was the face of the AIDS Commission in San Pedro and represented the National AIDS Commission in international meetings. His hard work and dedication did not go unnoticed.