By Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Mon. May 9, 2022

Over the last three weeks, police have been on a manhunt for Christon Rocha, a Honduran national of Dangriga Town who stabbed his ex-common-law wife, Vanessa Reyes, 38, in the face with a knife during the Easter holiday in Placencia Village, Stann Creek District. So far, they have not been able to locate him.

Back on Sunday, April 17, Reyes and Rocha were having an argument, and moments after the dispute ended, Rocha returned with a knife and proceeded to inflict injuries on Reyes’ face.

Since then, Reyes, who fears that Rocha might take her life, has been seeking refuge in a safe house and has been unable to go to work or see her children.

According to the Communications Director of the Belize Police Department, ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, the Police Department is currently conducting a countrywide search for Rocha and has dispatched his picture to law enforcement personnel in neighbouring countries.

“To be very honest, we have a countrywide hunt for him. We keep sending the posters to our counterparts at the borderline of this country. We have conducted several searches based on tips that he was believed to be on a certain island, and I’m telling you that the search continues for him, because this is not a case that we can take lightly. If those persons on that morning didn’t intervene and stop him from carrying out what I fear would have been a fatal incident, then we would have been investigating a murder at this time,” said ASP Yearwood.

“… We know at the Police Department, we have to touch base with Interpol whenever it concerns a foreigner. In my original release I can recall saying that he’s a Honduran, and we have asked for the assistance from our neighbouring countries’ law enforcement entities, and like I said, if he resurfaces in Honduras, I am certain that our counterparts will notify us immediately and we will know what to do when that occurs,” continued ASP Yearwood.