BELIZE CITY, Tues. May 24, 2022
On Monday, the murder trial of Jose Gomez, 23, and Brandon Hughes, 21, who are accused of fatally shooting 75-year-old businessman Oscar Rosado, Sr., in his hardware store, commenced in the Supreme Court in Belize City. It is being alleged that in 2018 the two men entered Rosado’s place of business, Rosado’s Construction Supplies on Cemetery Road in Belize City, to carry out a robbery, but ended up firing shots that ended Rosado’s life. This trial is being heard by Justice Susan Lamb, and both the accused are being represented by attorney Leeroy Banner.
Original reports indicated that there were in fact three men who had initially entered the establishment. The three reportedly bought two pounds of nails, before leaving the establishment, then returning minutes later. Gomez and Hughes are believed to be two of those men. Rosado’s wife would later tell police that she began to suspect that the men intended to rob the store, and her fears were realized when they pulled out firearms and held her at gunpoint. Oscar Rosado, Sr., who had reportedly been outside of the store preparing a delivery for a customer when he was alerted by his wife, then engaged in a struggle with the gunman, who demanded his pistol. During that struggle he was shot fatally once in the forehead, but according to his wife, after his death, the men searched his pockets and clothing and took his wallet, but not his gun.
Then, on that early April afternoon in 2018, the robbers fled from the store—reportedly firing up to 17 rounds—some of which were directed at police officers who were pursuing them.
Oscar Rosado, Sr., was killed in front of his son, Oscar Rosado, Jr, and other employees who were working on the compound. And the men said to be responsible for his death were on the lam before being captured and charged by police. In May 2018, a month after the incident, Brandon Hughes was picked up and charged for the murder. More than a year later, in August of 2019, Gomez, a resident of San Antonio Village in Cayo, was detained on a mischievous act charge, and shortly after being arraigned for that minor offense, he was charged jointly with Hughes for the murder of Rosado.