He is accused of killing his common-law wife, Francisca Caceres, 31

BIG FALLS, Toledo District, Thurs. May 16, 2019– Andrew Caliz, 47, a businessman of Big Falls, Toledo District, has been arrested and charged with murder for the shooting death of his common-law wife, Francisca Noehemy Duarte Caceres, 31, a domestic of Big Falls.

Caliz was also charged for keeping four .380 live rounds for which he did not have a license. He is presently detained and awaits arraignment at the Punta Gorda Magistrate’s Court as soon as a magistrate is available.

Caliz has claimed that the shooting was an accident, due to a negligent discharge when his gun accidentally fired and struck his wife in her neck. He told police that in their home at about 4:30 Tuesday morning, he was sitting on his bed and when he took out his licensed 9mm pistol out of a drawer to put it into his gun holster, the gun discharged.

He called a man who was in the area and they took her to the Punta Gorda Hospital, where she was declared dead on arrival.

This morning, during the weekly police press briefing held at the Raccoon Street Police Station, ACP Joseph Myvette said that after police launched an investigation into the shooting, they found that what Caliz was claiming was not consistent with what they saw at the scene, and moreover, the autopsy on Caceres’s body revealed that the wound on Caceres’ neck was a contact wound, meaning that the gun was put on her neck and fired.

A file was compiled and sent to the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for her directives, and thereafter, the murder charge was brought against Caliz.

Myvette said that since no other person was in the area, they do not know what happened between the two persons before the shooting, and it is also not known if Caceres was shot while standing, or sitting.

Myvette also said that they had not received complaints of domestic abuse prior to the incident.

Caliz has reportedly retained the services of attorney Richard “Dickie” Bradley to represent him.