21-Year-Old Charged with Manslaughter in Death of Wilson Hernandez

On Monday, we told you about Wilson Hernandez, the twenty-eight-year-old owner of Selfie Lounge, who was shot and killed on Sunday. Tonight, there’s a major development: police have arrested twenty-one-year-old Christy Guzman and charged her with manslaughter. Investigators say Guzman fired the fatal shot after being handed the weapon by her aunt, Hernandez’s partner. But with a lesser charge now on the table, it’s raising tough questions about justice, accountability, and what really defines intent. News Five’s Britney Gordon has that story.

 

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Today, twenty-one-year-old Christy Guzman was escorted by several officers to the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court where she was arraigned on a charge of manslaughter following the shooting death of her aunt, Dalia Vellos’s, common-law husband Wilson Hernandez. She’s the one accused of pulling the trigger, the shot that ended Wilson Hernandez’s life. In a heartfelt message from Hernandez’s sister, she shares the pain the family endured during the ordeal stating quote, “It aches my heart seeing the babies rush out the door the moment they heard that gunshot. They saw their dad lying in a puddle of blood. Dalia, do you know how traumatizing that must’ve been for them?” end quote. So why is Guzman only facing a manslaughter charge? Well, according to police, Hernandez was allegedly making threats during the argument.

 

Hilberto Romero, Head, National Crime Investigation Branch (File: Sept. 1^st, 2025)

“Investigation revealed that Wilson Hernandez had a domestic dispute with his common-law wife, and he threatened her. She has a licensed firearm. Thereafter, she passed the firearm to her niece who fired a single shot towards Wilson Hernandez causing his fatal injury.”

 

Police also report that Dalia Vellos, the licensed owner of the firearm, handed the weapon to Guzman before Hernandez was shot. However, surveillance footage captured moments before the shooting shows the gun being passed from Guzman to her aunt, who then leaves the frame. This begs the question, why did she later pass the gun back to Guzman and what role did she play in Guzman’s death? Under Belize’s Criminal Code, if you help someone commit a crime, even just by encouraging them, you can be charged with abetting. That means you’re legally part of the crime, whether you pulled the trigger or not.

 

Also, Belize doesn’t use terms like first- or second-degree murder. Instead, homicide charges fall into four categories: murder, manslaughter, manslaughter by negligence, and causing death by careless conduct. In the case of Christy Guzman, police say she and her aunt were assaulted by Wilson Hernandez and that played a role in why she’s facing the lesser charge of manslaughter, not murder.

Reporter

“Is there a case for self-defense?”

 

 

Hilberto Romero

“The matter will be dealt by the DPP. They’re saying that there was a domestic dispute and he assaulted them.”

 

Wilson’s mother, Blanca Hernandez was there to witness her son’s tragic death. She says the argument was heated and played out across several rooms of the house before it was taken outside. She maintains, however, that her son did not assault them.

 

Blanca Hernandez, Mother of Deceased

“That’s when my nerves started acting up, because I can’t stand hearing arguments. I came out again, and my son started telling me why they were arguing in the room. So I first tried to advise her, and then I advised my son. I told them, “If you can’t live together, it’s better to separate.” My son told me, “Mom, this is between her and me. We’ll fix it.” But as a mother, I told him, “I have to intervene because I live here too, and there are two children.” He told me, “Yes, but I’ll sort things out with her.” I said “Okay, figure it out.” So I went back to my room. They kept arguing.”

 

Police say that the investigation is still ongoing and while the public demands answers, the family is seeking closure. Britney Gordon for News Five.