Photo: Erwin Santos, shooting victim

by Charles Gladden

TEAKETTLE, Cayo District, Mon. Apr. 3, 2023

A man is lucky to be alive after he was viciously attacked outside of his mother’s home in Teakettle Village, Cayo District, on Thursday night, March 30. He was identified as 30-year-old Erwin Santos.

Reports have it that Santos was inside the house helping his mother to make panades, then went outside and sat on a plastic chair under a tree. A short while after he went outside, the sound of two gunshots was heard, and when relatives came outside to see what had happened, they saw Santos injured. He went inside and was transported to the Western Regional Hospital by family members.

Reports suggest that he received two gunshot injuries and was also chopped, and beaten with a hammer to the head, and also suffered a broken leg and arm.

Family members of Santos told Amandala that he underwent surgery the following day for the fracture to his arm.

They also said that their brother had been given warnings from people around the village to be careful, as there were rumors about threats from two men who had a grievance against Santos and wanted him dead. It is suspected that these men were responsible for Santos’ injuries.

This isn’t the first time that Santos has been mentioned in local news coverage. In 2017, he was wanted by police in connection with two murders, the deaths of Markie Mendez of Teakettle and Jorge Lemus of Unitedville. He was also charged for possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Santos was acquitted of the murder charges but served 5 years behind bars for the firearm offenses and was released on July 6, 2022.