Elderly Man Found Hacked to Death in Orange Walk

The body of a 70-year-old man was discovered with multiple chop wounds yesterday afternoon in northern Belize.  Authorities say that shortly before 3:00 p.m. on April 27, officers responded to information of a missing person at a farm located along the Santa Martha Road, about three miles from the main thoroughfare. Upon arrival, police met 35-year-old Sergio Garcia, a Silo Assistant of Trial Farm Village, who directed them to a small cement bungalow situated along a feeder road.  A short distance from the house, approximately 130 feet into a bushy area, officers made a grim discovery. There, the body of an elderly man, clad only in briefs and partially covered with a sheet, was found lying motionless. The deceased was identified as 70-year-old Francisco Perfecto Garcia, a retired BSI worker of Orange Walk Town.  Initial observations revealed that the victim had sustained multiple chop wounds to the face, suggesting a violent attack.  Investigators say the discovery came after Sergio Garcia went to check on his father earlier that afternoon, following repeated unsuccessful attempts by family members to reach him. Upon arriving at the property, he reportedly found the back door open and the interior of the house ransacked. Realizing something was wrong, he alerted other relatives, and together they began searching the area, leading to the discovery of the body.  Police processed the scene and recovered a machete with suspected bloodstains from the yard. Investigators noted that several glass louvers had been broken, and a number of items were reported missing, including a red iPhone 11, a tabletop stove, gas tanks, and a wheelbarrow.  The body was transported to the Northern Regional Hospital, where it was officially pronounced dead.