Father and son stabbed at Orange Walk bar during Carnival over drink; Police defend management of major event

Posted: Tuesday, September 24, 2024. 1:49 pm CST.

by Aaron Humes: A father and a son working at bar in Orange Walk Town during Saturday’s Carnival are now each in hospital, one in stable condition, the other critical.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division, told reporters that Francis Bustamante Junior and Senior wound up in this situation because of an argument with a customer who wanted a drink: “They were working at a bar in Orange Walk during the Carnival when they were approached by a male person who began arguing with them. At this point, this person pulled out a knife and stabbed them both. They are at the hospital recovering. Francis Bustamante Sr. is in the hospital recovering and Francis Bustamante Junior is in a critical condition at this time. Again, we have no suspects. Some arguments [were] had over some drink that this person wanted to purchase because the Bustamantes were working at a bark in the area.”

With the murder of Alwin Arnold and reports of minor brawls around the Carnival route, ACP Romero was left to defend the policing strategy of the Belize Police Department for the Carnival event. He pointed out that police were ready, but those in attendance could not behave themselves: “There [were] adequate police officers policing that event. It was large crowds so these incidents occurred in different areas. But there was a large number of police working. Again, we cannot prevent everything. These incidents occurred in different areas, so as soon as we got the information we responded. That is what we have at this time.”

He added: “We will look at the strategy for the next carnival; but adequate police officers were there, but people got into these fights and these stabbings occurred.”

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