Placencia police have charged two of five men who were allegedly hanging out on Saturday, March 17, when an argument erupted and a sixth man was chopped to death.
A press release today stated that police have only levied charges against two of four persons initially detained. They are today still seeking Rony Arnaldo Rosa, 51, however, but have charged Jose Cecilio Yanes, 19; and Emir Kidel Recinos, 19.
The two Hondurans appeared in the Placencia Magistrate’s Court, where they were read charges of murder for Tito Caballeros, 31.
The men were remanded to the Hattieville Prison until their next scheduled court date.
Police said that sometime around 10:00 on Saturday morning, they received information that there was a dead man lying fully clothed in the vicinity of the Placencia junction, near the Southern Highway.
They visited the area, said police, and found the man lying face down near the Mayan King Banana Farm, which is near to the Placencia junction. He was later identified as Tito Caballero, 31, a resident of Cattle Landing Village in the Toledo District, said police.
He was apparently dead. He was wearing a white sport shirt and a pair of long jeans pant. The man was taken to the Southern Regional Hospital, where his body awaits a post-mortem. Police are not certain what time he died, but they are certain that he died from the numerous chop wounds that he had obviously sustained to the body.
Police said that they observed that Caballeros, a tour guide, had been chopped in the head, right shoulder and on both hands.
Police investigations revealed that the group was hanging out around 5:00 the previous evening, Friday, March 16, when a misunderstanding occurred. The five men then turned on Caballeros, and began chopping him.
Police said that they have also recovered two of the machetes believed to have been used in the fatal chopping. They also believe that one other machete was used.
Amandala today spoke with Tito Caballeros’ brother, Max Caballeros, a resident of the Cayo District, who said that he is very upset at the way his brother was murdered, and also angry at the way the police are treating them. Max says he only stays in Stann Creek sometime because he does construction work there. When he is not at work, he is usually in Cayo, where he lives.
Monday, Max said, was the fourth day since his brother has died and they had to make two trips to Dangriga and still could not get any details from the police.
Max said that the last time he saw his brother alive was on Friday, March 16, sometime after 10:00 that morning. However, his brother received a call from a young lady who told her that she wanted to see him, and so he went to Placencia.
Both of his lower hands are chopped off, said Max, and his shoulder is chpped three times, almost to the point of being amputated. He has four chop wounds in his head – one in his forehead and three in the skull, and three stab wounds in the chest.
His brother sustained approximately fourteen stab wounds, said Max, who said he believes that the post-mortem might show that there are others.
Tito tried to run from his attackers, but “They chopped him like an animal – they had no mercy,” said Max. “Five of them brutally beat him.”
Max said that his brother may have been killed over a young lady that he had just started having a relationship with a couple weeks ago.
Max said he believes this because the day before Tito was killed, he told him that he was going to see the young woman, who resides in Placencia. He was very serious about the relationship, even though they had only recently met.
Max said that his brother would be laid to rest following services at the Catholic Church on Burns Avenue. He leaves behind his wife, Jane, and two children – Julian and Erika – all residing in Holland with their mother. He is also survived by his parents, Sergio Caballeros and Maria Elvira Castillo; five sisters; six brothers, a number of nieces and nephews.
Police are today asking anyone who have seen or know Rosa’s whereabouts to please call the nearest police station.
Max Caballeros had also been the victim of a stabbing incident, which occurred on Friday, December 1, 2006, sometime around 2:00 that afternoon.
A mentally unstable Guatemalan, 34, had stabbed the tour guide in his chest for no apparent reason. The stabbing incident occurred on Burns Avenue in San Ignacio.