Amancia Martinez, resident of the San Mateo Area, San Pedro, Ambergris Caye, reported that about 8:20p.m. on Saturday, September 16, 2017, she was inside her home when she heard a loud bang and felt her house shake.
Police reports indicate that personnel visited the residence of Amancia Martinez, 39, where cops observed a hole in the ground beneath the steps of her home. Holes were also seen in the steps and there was mud from the ground splattered in the immediate vicinity.
Investigations reveal that two men were seen throwing an item into the yard and fleeing the scene. BDF bomb expert is assisting the police in the investigation. No one was injured and police have detained two minors for questioning
Four explosive devices have been found in Belize in recent weeks, but this one in San Pedro is the first to have been detonated. Last month Belize City police found an Austrian hand grenade in an empty lot on Pluse Street. During the month of September, two more explosive devices have been found, one in Vernon Street and the other in Corozal that bomb experts described as “sophisticated” and a “first of its kind” found in Belize.
UPDATE: Tuesday, September 19, 2017:
Police have detained three persons, in connection with the detonation of a high explosive grenade. Bomb experts have confirmed that the explosive device is a U.S. type grenade with a steel body that is designed to fragment on detonation. Belize Defense Force Brigadier General David Jones explained that this type of grenade can kill anyone standing within five meters of the explosion and can cause severe injuries at 15 meters.
The police has increased patrols in the area but have not set a motive for the attack. Amanda Martinez believes that it is a direct attack against her son Delson Paguada. This is the first attack using a hand-thrown explosive to be recorded in San Pedro, Ambergris Caye.
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