72-year-old American retiree William Smith murdered in violent home invasion in Tres Puntas area of San Ignacio

By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 72 Year old American Retiree, William Maxwell Smith, from New York was murdered in a violent home invasion in the Tres Puntas area near the Kontiki layout in San Ignacio.

On April 9th, 2023 at approximately 9:30 am, San Ignacio Police received an urgent call from a male person via 911, reporting that his friend William Smith was being held at gunpoint by two armed, dark-skinned male persons at his residence in San Ignacio. The police immediately responded to the location, which is a two-story green and white cement house located about one mile off the George Price Highway.

Upon arrival, the officers surrounded the house and identified themselves as police officers, ordering the culprits to come outside. Four minutes after surrounding the house, the officers heard what sounded like two gunshots coming from inside the house. One minute later, they saw a Hispanic male person dressed in long khaki pants, with a blue long-sleeve sweater and a blue shirt covering his face with a red and grey pair of gloves exiting the front door of the house, holding what appeared to be a black shotgun in his hands.

The suspect threw the weapon on the veranda when he saw the police, shouting that he had been shot and asking not to be shot. He was identified as Isiah Azueta, a 26-year-old unemployed Belizean from Kontiki Area in San Ignacio. Azueta was ordered to get on the ground and was then subdued, and police observed that he had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his left leg.

During this process, another tall, slim dark-skinned male person exited the back veranda of the house and jumped from the railing, also holding what appeared to be a shotgun. He started shooting at the officers and at the same time was running to the back of the yard behind the house into some bushes. Three police officers set chase behind the person who continued firing in their direction, injuring Rolando Oh to his head, stomach area, and left hand. The male person then escaped.

Police then entered the house and found a dark-skinned, slim male person lying on his back next to the side door inside the hall area. The person was dressed in a long sleeve blue button-down shirt, long blue jeans pants, with a brown belt, barefooted, and had what appeared to be a gunshot wound to his left armpit area bleeding and was motionless. The man was identified as 72-year-old American retiree William Maxwell Smith, of New York, USA.

In the house, Police also found another American retiree, 71-year-old retiree Dorothy Lois August, who is also from New York. She was seen with an open cut wound above her right eye, bleeding, and complaining of pain. She reported to police that she is the sister of the deceased and was injured during the shooting of her brother.

The investigation into this incident is ongoing, and the police have not yet released any information about the suspects or their possible motives. The community is urged to come forward with any information that may help the police in their investigation.

Advertise with the mоѕt vіѕіtеd nеwѕ ѕіtе іn Belize ~ We offer fully customizable and flexible digital marketing packages. Your content is delivered instantly to thousands of users in Belize and abroad! Contact us at mаrkеtіng@brеаkіngbеlіzеnеwѕ.соm or call us at 501-612-0315.

© 2023, BreakingBelizeNews.com. Content is copyrighted and requires written permission for reprinting in online or print media. Theft of content without permission/payment is punishable by law.