Emmanuel Sosa, 38, was shot dead at a bar during an attempted holdup

BELIZE CITY, Mon. July 16, 2018– On Sunday morning, April 15, a female bartender at Pasadina Bar, located in Ranchito, Corozal District, was attempting to close the main entrance to the bar when a man wearing a mask appeared with a sawed-off shotgun.

Emmanuel Evan Sosa, 38, intervened on the woman’s behalf. An argument ensued between Sosa and the masked man, before the masked man shot the Good Samaritan dead and then fled.

Last week, police’s investigation of the homicide led them to arrest a Canadian man, George Bednarik, 21, who reportedly had been residing in the village. Reportedly, Bednarik’s mother is a resident of Ranchito.

Bednarik apparently had grown a thick beard in an attempt to disguise himself.

Assistant Commissioner of Police, Joseph Myvette, who is the Head of the National Crimes Investigation Branch (NCIB), told the media, “George Bednarik, 21, of Ranchito, has since been arrested and charged for the murder of Emmanuel Sosa, which occurred in Ranchito in April of this year.”

 ACP Myvette was asked if he was able to share details about the arrest and how police were able to crack the case.
“Well, it definitely had to do with the investigation and the recording of several statements, which pointed to the accused, as well as other evidence that was gathered,” ACP Myvette replied.

Bednarik was scheduled to be arraigned on a single charge of murder today, Monday, at the Corozal Magistrate’s Court.

Initially, bail cannot be offered for the offense of murder, except in circumstances where an accused has been in prison for an excessively long period of time, which would be considered a violation of his/her constitutional rights to a speedy trial within a reasonable time.