4 San Pedro Men Guilty of 2021 Deadly Attack!
Four of five San Pedro men charged over a deadly 2021 attack on fishermen at sea have been found guilty, including two convicted of murder.
Justice Candace Nanton delivered the verdict today.
Gabriel Villafranco and Carlos Salazar were found guilty of the murder of Jerry Espat and of the attempted murder of his younger brother, Kirian Espat. Pedro Tun and Delsin Paguada were found guilty of the attempted murders of two brothers, Ricardo and Luis Santoya.
The fifth man, Sergio Tun, Pedro’s brother, was found not guilty of two counts of attempted murder against the Santoya brothers. Justice Nanton said only one witness identified him, and that was not enough to establish his identity. The Crown alleged he was in the red boat. He was the only one of the five to walk free.
The four convicted men were remanded to the Belize Central Prison. Sentencing is set for December 2, 2026.
The attack happened on Saturday, October 2, 2021. Four brothers from San Pedro, Jerry Espat, Kirian Espat, Ricardo and Luis, were fishing and diving for conch near Cangrejo Caye, about five miles south of Ambergris Caye. Four men in two boats approached and opened fire. Jerry’s body was found the next day near some mangroves. The family asked for justice.
Kirian told News 5 in 2021 that all four brothers were targeted. “Four, ah, we mi deh out there, four breddas. “They ambush us, and Dehn tries to kill us,” he said.
The Crown’s case was that the attack happened at about 9:30 a.m. Witnesses told the court they saw a red and white boat approach from behind carrying three men they recognised. The Crown alleged Paguada opened fire and that the men chased the brothers’ boat toward San Pedro, firing at it. One brother was shot in the foot.
Kirian and Jerry were left in the water. The Crown said a second boat arrived, and Kirian told the court Jerry was shot several times. Kirian said he dived under the water and that when he came up, the men tried to pull him into their boat and struck at him with a machete until someone arrived and the men left. Crown witnesses identified Villafranco and Salazar as being among the men.
Kirian recovered but died about six months later. The Crown said it was from “dry lungs” after he inhaled water during the attack. The men were charged only with his attempted murder. Before he died, Kirian gave police a statement identifying the men, and the court admitted it into evidence.
All five men called alibi witnesses who said they were elsewhere. Justice Nanton rejected the defence for the four she convicted.