Photo: Frank Garica, deceased
by Charles Gladden
DANGRIGA TOWN, Stann Creek District, Mon. Feb. 27, 2023
A man was executed at the crack of dawn today inside his wooden structure in the Rivas Estate area of Dangriga Town. The victim was identified as Frank Garcia, 28, also known as “Animal”.
According to initial reports, at 6:30 a.m. gunshots rang out in the area, and when the shots subsided, authorities were called out to the scene where they saw Garcia’s motionless body lying on the floor along with five expended bullet casings.
Sonya Augustine, the mother of Garcia, told Amandala that she learned of her son’s death from her daughter and then later received calls from residents of the area. Augustine said that she believes her son’s past possibly caught up with him and led to his demise. But before it happened, he had attempted to change his life.
“My son wasn’t an angel. I won’t say he was, because I know he wasn’t; but the way they killed my son, he didn’t deserve to die like that … My son wasn’t an angel. He did a lot in his past, but lately, he was trying to change his life; but now his life ended like this. But I left everything in God’s hands,” she said.
“… I know someday we need to go, but I didn’t expect this morning to hear that my son was gunned down. I expect it because of the way people talked about my son; I expect that he was going to get hurt someday or the other, but I didn’t expect it that soon,” she added.
Augustine indicated that she made the journey from Belize City to collect some of her son’s belongings; however, she alleges that some items are missing and believes that they could have been taken by the assailant who executed Garcia.
“Certain things that they told me that he had, we haven’t found any of it at this time. They stated that he had cash and a gold chain around his neck, and we haven’t found any of that stuff when they told me at the station,” she noted.
Augustine said that she doesn’t want any act of retaliation to take place as a result of her son’s death, and will leave it in the hands of God, and lay her son to rest.
Police are yet to determine the motive for the killing of Garcia, but are seeking two men who they believe are responsible for Garcia’s death.
Garcia leaves behind an 8-year-old daughter.