BELIZE CITY, Fri. Sept. 11, 2020– An investigation into the shooting death of Ricky Miguel, 27, of Fabers Road, Belize City, and the wounding of his girlfriend, Thalia Westby, which occurred on Fabers Road on Sunday night, led police to Leroy Bardales, 22, a laborer of Belize City.
Bardales has been charged with Miguel’s murder and the attempted murder of Westby.
Bardales was additionally charged with use of deadly means of harm, and dangerous grievous harm. He has been detained pending arraignment at the Belize City Magistrate’s Court.
Police said that at about 10:30 Sunday night, Miguel and Westby were sitting in a car that was parked on Whistling Duck Avenue, just off Fabers Road, when a man rode up on a bicycle. He was armed with a gun, and he went to the driver’s side of the car and fired several times into the car. The assailant then rode away.
As a result, Miguel was shot in the head and chest and died immediately, while Westby was shot in her leg. She was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where she was admitted in a stable condition, while Miguel’s body was taken to the morgue.
During a police press brief this morning, the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, said that the murder was due to jealousy.