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Father of 7 stabbed dead in Unitedville

HeadlineFather of 7 stabbed dead in Unitedville

UNITEDVILLE—A fatal early morning stabbing incident that happened in Unitedville this past Saturday, August 16, has resulted in the untimely loss of a father of seven whose life was brutally cut short after he was reportedly stabbed twice in the throat during a casual night of socializing with his colleagues.

The incident – which took place a short distance away from the victim’ s house – occurred on Albert Street in Unitedville shortly before 3:00 a.m., and while relatives told the media that Victor Manuel Vargas, 38, ran several yards to seek assistance after the incident, he eventually collapsed and died a few minutes later on the verandah of a neighbor’s house.

His common-law wife, Ada Lemus, who spoke to KREM News on Saturday, said that she was appalled to find out that her spouse was dead, since she initially thought that he was involved in a minor incident.

She said, “About 3:00 a.m. [on Saturday], somebody came and told me that someone stabbed him [Victor]. I thought it was something small, and I was not hurrying, but the person told me that it’s urgent, so I hurried but when I reached at the scene, he was already dead, and we couldn’t do anything. We wanted to rush him to the hospital, but it was too late; they said we have to call the police.”

Vargas left home last Friday afternoon, and according to Lemus – with whom he shared 4 children – that was the last time she saw him alive.

The victim was reportedly socializing with a friend when they got involved in an altercation on the street side, during which Vargas was stabbed twice in the neck.

Vargas managed to run and yell for help, but soon collapsed and was later pronounced dead on arrival after being transported to the San Ignacio Community Hospital.

Lemus mentioned that she is at a loss as to the motive for the murder, since she knew both men to be friends.

“I just heard that he was drinking because he usually goes to hang out and drink. I’m not sure [why they were fighting or why he was stabbed], but people [from the village] know more or less who did it – I don’t know where the person is, or if they [the police] detained him already, but he is from the village. As far as I know, they were friends [because] he [the suspect] would always hail him [Victor], but I heard they had a little quarrel in the bar, but I don’t know what it was about”, she related.

Lemus cited that while Vargas was not a troublemaker, he had a “very strong character” and was strict with his children; however, his only problem was his persistent drinking habit.

In an anguished appeal for the law to take its course in her husband’s case, the widow declared, “I want to see the [accused] person pay for what he did, because it can’t just go like that; the law has to do something because there’s a lot of killing [in Belize] and it seriously has to stop.”

Since Vargas was the sole breadwinner for the family, Lemus told reporters that she will now have to find a babysitter and seek employment in order to provide for her family.

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