_{Photo: Francisco Gutierrez, charged}

by Charles Gladden

BELMOPAN, Mon. July 29, 2024

One man has been arrested and charged in connection with the death of 36-year-old Solomon Coleman of Punta Gorda Town, who was killed several months ago in front of a bar on Cemetery Road in Belmopan.

According to reports, in May of this year, Coleman was socializing with his brother and a female friend at a popular nighttime establishment, Royal Bar, sometime around 1:00 a.m. when he decided to purchase more beers from the establishment, and his brother went along with him. When they got to the front of the bar, an unknown masked gunman, alleged to be 40-year-old Francisco Oscar Gutierrez of Belmopan, rode up to them on a bicycle, pulled out a shotgun, and fired a single shot at him.

Gutierrez then fled from the scene. Coleman fell to the ground, and died shortly after that.

On Friday, July 26, the Belize Police Department announced that Gutierrez had been charged with the crime of murder.

Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams noted to the media that a team comprised of specialized units within the Police Department was able to review several old cases, which led to the arrest of several persons, including Gutierrez.