Nearly Forty Bullets Tear Through Belmopan Home

Nearly forty bullets tore through a Belmopan home overnight, leaving a nineteen-year-old woman hospitalized in what police believe was another attempt on someone else’s life. The Maya Mopan residence is linked to a man who has already survived several attacks, but investigators say the young woman was likely not the intended target. She suffered multiple gunshot wounds when the gunmen opened fire. Police are now reviewing surveillance footage of two vehicles as they work to identify the shooters and determine what drove the attack. ASP Stacy Smith has the latest.

 

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“ Police are investigating a shooting incident which resulted in the injury of nineteen-year-old Marcella Arzu of Belmopan City. The investigation commenced just before one a.m. when police in Belmopan City were advised of a shooting incident in the Maya Mopan area. What has been gathered so far is that Arzu and others were at home inside their residence when a male person knocked on the door claiming to be police and requesting for it to be opened. When the door was not opened, the house was fired upon and this resulted in the injury of Ms. Arzu. Ms. Arzu was transported for medical attention, where she is now listed in a stable condition and video footage from the Public Safety Monitoring Unit has resulted in the identification of two vehicles of interest, and that information is being pursued as a part of the ongoing investigation. We do not believe that Miss Arzu was the intended target, but another person who resides at that residence.”

 

Reporter

“Can you confirm if that person is Ronlee Petillo?”

 

Stacy Smith

“I will not confirm that information.”

 

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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