36 Hours Missing, Many Questions Remain in Indian Creek Case

A week after a quiet Toledo village was jolted into the national spotlight, the mystery surrounding First Alcalde Marcus Canti is far from over. Though Canti returned home just thirty six hours after his sudden disappearance from Indian Creek Village, the questions left behind have only grown louder. Police say the village leader reported being abducted, but with no official update since and increasing calls for clarity and accountability, many are still asking what really happened during those missing hours. Tonight, News Five’s Paul Lopez takes a closer look at the unanswered questions, keeping this case alive.

 

Paul Lopez, Reporting

One week after First Alcalde Marcus Canti vanished from his farm, questions still surround what happened in Indian Creek Village. Canti disappeared on Monday, April thirteenth, then reappeared less than two days later; safe, but with few answers. Police say Canti reported that two men abducted him from his farm, held him against his will and released him early Wednesday morning on the outskirts of the village. Beyond that account, uncertainty continues to cloud the brief but troubling disappearance.

 

Reporter

“Based on the information you gathered from Canti and the injuries observed, can you say that he was forcibly taken, that he was indeed kidnapped?”

 

ACP Hilberto Romero, Head, National Crime Investigation Branch (File: April 16^th, 2026)

“We are carrying out a thorough investigation and so we’ll have all the facts when his statement is concluded today. So that is all I know at this time.”

 

Police say Marcus Canti showed minor bruises and complained of pain when he returned home, but they have yet to issue any update on his reported abduction. While Canti was missing, the Toledo Alcalde Association and Maya Leaders Alliance searched for him in Indian Creek Village, calling for answers from authorities. Since his return, however, efforts to get clarity have stalled. News Five’s repeated calls and messages to Canti have gone unanswered, and a joint statement from the two organizations released on Friday offered no new details. It said only that the matter is serious and that authorities have been asked to carry out a full investigation. Police have confirmed that five people were detained for questioning.

 

ACP Hilberto Romero

“We had several persons that were detained from Indian Creek. They were interviewed, questioned and released.”

 

Among those persons detained, questioned and alter released, were Village Chairman Domingo Choc, Second Alcalde Manuel Ack and former Village Councilor Santiago Pop. All three men denied involvement.

 

Domingo Choc, Chairman, Indian Creek Village (File: April 15^th, 2026)

“Each one of us was questioned and then we had proof. We showed them proof that all of us are innocent. So that is why we were released.”

 

And the story was the same from the other individuals that police initially suspected were behind the kidnapping.

 

Manuel Ack, Second Alcalde, Indian Creek Village

“The officer ask me, you know why you are here. I told him no sir. Then the man take a little minute and asked me again, sir do you know the Alcalde is missing? Sir, I don’t have no idea about that.”

 

Santiago Pop, Former Village Councilor, Indian Creek Village

“I need to clear myself that I have not done anything as a criminal. So, I want to clear my name and the others’ name as well.”

 

Canti left the Toledo District soon after returning home to receive treatment at a private clinic in Belmopan. News Five’s attempts to speak with him there proved futile. Uncertainty continues to surround Canti’s disappearance and return, as pressure mounts on authorities to confirm whether an audio recording of him pleading for help is credible.

 

With investigations still ongoing and no clarity from the alleged victim himself, the mystery surrounding Marcus Canti’s disappearance lingers. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

 

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

 

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