17-Year-Old Shot Dead in San Ignacio Was Family Breadwinner, Says Mentor

A portion of Huard Ramirez’ untold story surfaced today when a close friend and mentor told Love News that the 17-year-old was saddled with being the breadwinner for his home.  Ramirez was shot dead yesterday morning as he trespassed on the property of 44-year-old, Juan Gonzalez in the Boiton area of San Ignacio Town, Cayo District.  The incident occurred just before eight o’clock when Gonzalez caught the minor exiting the storeroom.  After a brief verbal exchange and an attempted attack by the minor, Gonzalez used his nine-millimeter and shot the teenager.  Rita Defour, Huard’s mentor told Love News that she has known the child since he was five years old and that he was not known as a troublemaker.  He was, however, the main breadwinner for his family.

Rita Defour, Mentor: “His mom came to Cornerstone because they had it really rough and she wanted to help to feed them because they were going to Sacred Heart Primary School. And so we usually fill out a form when they come to us and then we go into the home and we assess the home to find out what is the problem. So we found out a few things and we went into the home and the board decided to put Howard and his sisters on our feeding program. So he was on the feeding program from five till about 11, 12 years when he finished standard six. And the Howard that I know was a really kind, willing little boy. He was just a loving child. That’s the part of him that I knew. He would come into my office and he would hug me up and he would say “Miss Rita I love you, thanks for the food for the day. Do you want me to help you with anything?” And so he was always the one that wanted to sweep, that wanted to clean down the tables after lunch. He was that type of a little boy. When he left the feeding program, I always tell them when they leave the feeding program, to please always come back to me if they have a need for anything. He wanted to go to CET. That was his dream. He actually started CET, but they couldn’t continue to pay the fee for CET, so he dropped out. And I was trying to get another scholarship for him to go back, but I was not successful in doing that and he dropped out and… And he was actually the oldest one in the family. So he became like a provider because his mom was a single mother. And he became like the provider and he had to go out and bring in food. And so he came to my house like probably maybe like every two weeks he used to come to my home. He would come at the gate and he would say, “Miss Rita we have nothing to eat.” And I would take money out of my pocket. take my groceries from my pantry and I would give him to take something home for him and his sisters to eat. And that was Howard’s story. When children go to Cornerstone, I feel like they are a part of me. I knew him from he was five. So I guess that’s why it’s so heartbreaking to know that he was shot like that.”

After getting shot, Ramirez attempted to escape into the bushes, but he reemerged shortly after asking Gonzalez to help him. Police were called out to the area, but upon their arrival, the minor was motionless on the ground; some twenty feet away from the storeroom.