_{Photo: Miriam Castellanos, deceased}

by Charles Gladden

SANTA ELENA TOWN, Cayo District, Thurs. Nov. 21, 2024

The lives of two persons from the Cayo District were lost on Wednesday, November 20, as they were murdered chillingly.

The first murder reportedly took place in the Santa Cruz area of Santa Elena Town on the date above. The victim, 63-year-old Miriam Castellanos, a Belizean domestic worker, was last seen alive on Tuesday, November 19, at about 7:30 p.m., and was found dead in her home by a relative the following day.

Authorities investigating the scene before 2:00 p.m. found her body with multiple stab wounds. It is yet to be determined by whom or when Castellanos was killed. A motive for the murder has not yet been established, as police investigation continues.

_{Photo: Jonathan Josue Leonardo, deceased}

The second murder of the day occurred before 11:00 p.m. when an altercation with a male person cost 18-year-old Jonathan Josue Leonardo, a driver of Duck Run 2, his life.

_{Photo: Divinas Restaurant and Bar}

While socializing with two friends at Divinas Restaurant and Bar in Roaring Creek between Mile 47 and 48 on the George Price Highway around 10:30 p.m., Leonardo was confronted by a known male individual. To de-escalate the situation, Leonardo reportedly left the establishment with his companions and got into a vehicle; however, they were followed outside by the aggressor who let off a single gunshot in his direction, killing him instantly at the scene.

A 9mm shell found at the scene has been linked to a licensed firearm owner from the Maya Mopan area of Belmopan, who is on the run. Leonardo was transported to the Western Regional Hospital where he was pronounced dead.

The bodies of Leonardo and Castellanos await post-mortem examinations.