by Charles Gladden
TEAKETTLE VILLAGE, Cayo District, Mon. Feb. 10, 2025
A well-known church minister and father of five, 48-year-old Santiago Rajo, was murdered over the weekend by a trio of men in the Arizona area of Teakettle Village, Cayo District, while on his way to help a relative from robbers.
Before the fatal shooting took place, sometime after 1:00 a.m. on Saturday, February 8, the trio robbed a home belonging to Rajo’s brother. After the men fled away on some stolen motorcycles at their targeted home, they encountered Rajo who was going to help his brother.
Rajo didn’t make it to the residence, as he was fatally shot twice and collapsed to the ground, dying on the spot.
“This is a tragic accident. It wasn’t supposed to happen, but I’m hopeful he died in faith and that one day we will see him,” said Reynaldo Carillo, son-in-law of Rajo. “Santiago Rajo was a hardworking man. He used to go 6:30 in the morning to go to work and come home after 5 in the evening. Sometimes he would go to his farm, and on Sundays he would go to church and prepare his sermons, and that was how he served his family,” he added.
While this may be the first violent crime that the group reportedly has committed, Carillo explained that the group has been committing other crimes around the village for some time.
“This isn’t the first time this has happened. When I came here, this has been always happening, and the thing is, they have been always targeting persons who are [hardworking]. My wife’s uncle has a piece of land there, and they used to steal from there. A lot of things happen, and when the police come, nothing is done. Yesterday, I saw they stole two horses from Teakettle. A lot of things are happening, and something needs to be done,” said Carillo.
He additionally noted that there’s a ring of crooks committing these crimes from within Teakettle and surrounding villages.
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander for the Belize Police Department’s Eastern Division, told reporters that the motive for the attempted robbery was the said motorcycle that the men fled on.
He further mentioned that a few persons have been detained for this crime.
Rajo was the pastor of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Teakettle Village.