by Kristen Ku
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Aug. 21, 2023
Over the weekend, Ricardo Borja, a 28-year-old Salvadoran businessman from Belize City, was gunned down in front of his apartment near Coney Drive.
The incident occurred late on Saturday, August 19, around 11:30 p.m. as Borja and his 23-year-old girlfriend, Jean Reyes, returned home.
According to reports, the couple was ambushed shortly after they had entered their yard and Borja had turned off the engine of his white Nissan pickup. At that point, an unidentified assailant opened fire on the vehicle.
On arrival at the scene, the police discovered multiple bullet holes in the pickup, one of which was notably close to the driver’s door. Inside the car, they found Borja in critical condition and his girlfriend injured.
Both were quickly transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where Borja was pronounced dead upon arrival. Reyes, however, who sustained minor injuries in the attack, was treated and later released.
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams commented on the lack of a clear motive behind the brutal attack. However, rumors have begun to circulate about Borja’s business dealings. “We’re getting several pieces of information that are negative towards him in terms of his involvement with different activities. It could be that it is one of those that may have led to his death. And so, we are looking at every possible angle that we can pursue with respect to this matter,” Williams revealed.
Interestingly, despite Borja’s past legal entanglements, including two counts of charges for theft (for which he was never convicted), he was a licensed owner of two firearms: a .223 and a 9mm. This raised eyebrows, considering Williams’ previous statement on accused individuals not being eligible for gun licenses.
When questioned on this apparent discrepancy, Williams defended the decision: “He owned a consultancy and I think he was also engaged in real estate. He did apply for a gun license, and I can tell you I was the one who approved those gun licenses. He produced all the requisite documents and proved that he owned a business and was generating funds. In addition to that, there is no conviction that he had for any crime. In this case, it’s a victim of a crime and I don’t think we should vilify him for that,” he said.
Police continue to investigate.