Second Arrest in Murder of Delivery Truck Driver

Police have formally arrested and charged a second suspect in the murder of Caribbean Chicken driver Mark Gabourel.

Fifty-five-year-old Gabourel was fatally shot on January 7 during an attempted robbery on Mountain View Boulevard in Belmopan. Police said he was accompanied by a 15-year-old delivery helper when two men on a motorcycle blocked the truck and opened fire, hitting Gabourel. The suspects tried unsuccessfully to open the truck door before fleeing. Gabourel was rushed to the Western Regional Hospital, where he later died from his injuries.

The murder was the second in recent months involving delivery truck drivers, prompting condemnation from the Business Chamber of Spanish Lookout and several Belmopan businesses, which described the attacks as “senseless”.

Security camera footage from nearby businesses quickly circulated on social media, with users drawing links between the suspects and a previous armed robbery in Armenia Village, citing similarities in helmets, clothing, and shoes.

Attorney and Belmopan resident Arthur Saldivar urged the public to come forward with information. “The common man and woman on the street has to take it upon themselves to do what is necessary to be safe,” he said. “Someone knows those persons on that bike.”

Belmopan City Councillor Sanie Cal also called on the business community to help fund a reward for information leading to the arrest of those responsible.

On Friday, police charged 25-year-old Wilhem Coye of Camalote Village with murder. At the time, ASP Stacy Smith indicated that another person was in police custody.

Today, 29-year-old Shaylon Melvin Santos, a construction worker of Teakettle Village, was also charged with the same offence.