Manslaughter or Murder? Security Footage Raises Questions

The shooting death of 28-year-old Wilson Hernandez, owner of Selfie Lounge, continues to be investigated.

On Monday, police charged 21-year-old Christy Guzman with manslaughter after she allegedly fired the shot that killed Hernandez during a domestic dispute. But newly surfaced security footage has the public asking questions about the official account. It has also raised public debate over why Guzman is not facing a murder charge.

According to police, Hernandez was involved in a heated argument with his common-law wife, Dalia Vellos, on Sunday. Investigators say Vellos, who holds a firearm license, handed her gun to Guzman, who then fired the fatal shot. Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero explained that Hernandez had allegedly threatened the two women during the dispute, which played a role in determining the lesser charge of manslaughter.

However, surveillance video obtained by investigators shows a different sequence of events: Guzman handing the weapon to her aunt, who then leaves the frame before allegedly returning it. This discrepancy has fueled speculation about Vellos’s role and whether she should also be facing criminal charges. Under Belize’s Criminal Code, anyone who assists or encourages the commission of a crime can be charged with abetment, even if they are not the one who pulled the trigger.

The distinction is critical in Belize’s legal system, which does not classify homicides as first- or second-degree murder. Instead, the law divides them into murder, manslaughter, manslaughter by negligence, and causing death by careless conduct. In Guzman’s case, police cited the domestic dispute and allegations of assault as justification for the manslaughter charge, suggesting that elements of self-defence may be involved.

But Wilson’s family disputes that version of events. His mother, Blanca Hernandez, who was present at the time of the shooting, insists that her son did not assault the women. She described the argument as tense but denied that it escalated into physical violence.

Hernandez’s sister wrote on Facebook, “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.”