Caye Caulker man recovering after machete attack

A Belizean laborer is recovering after being attacked with a machete outside his home early this morning. Police say they responded to a report of a chopping incident around just before one o’clock in the morning. Upon arrival in the Bahia area, they found 37-year-old Mark Budd with visible chop wounds to his body. According to the initial investigation, Budd was returning to his residence around 12:35 a.m. when he was approached by a male person armed with a machete. The assailant inflicted several chop wounds on Budd before fleeing the scene. Budd was immediately transported to the Caye Caulker Polyclinic for initial medical treatment and was later transferred to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on the mainland. He is currently listed in stable condition. Police have not yet released a motive for the attack, and the investigation is ongoing.