Man Murdered in Hopkins Village

Thirty-eight-year-old Francis Augustine was found murdered this morning in Hopkins Village, Stann Creek District. Augustine was found with multiple stab wounds to the body at this residence. Police say that at around 3:45 a.m., someone entered his home and stabbed him. Love News spoke to one of the neighbors. 

Voice of Resident: “Well I didn’t really look at it as a good situation. It doesn’t look good for the village and it doesn’t look good for the young people of Hopkins. Hopkins is a positive place. If you want a job and if you have nothing going on in life and you come to Hopkins you will find life because there is life here in Hopkins and the people of Hopkins are one love. We are all one people. And it is sad to see this happen in the village. It’s an ongoing situation because it’s no the first time things like this are happening in the village, nothing gets said, nothing gets done. We the people of Hopkins need to stand up and start come together and unite because only unity can make us stronger. You have to be your brother’s keeper. When you’re brother is down you try to be there for your brother and in the same way your brother will try to be there for you.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: And the person that police have in custody he is from Hopkins ?

Voice of Resident: “Yeah it’s a friend of his, a brethren. But as far as I know I don’t know anything else about it like that so far.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: So he always had a lot of company around ?

Voice of Resident: “Yeah he was a loving person, a friendly person.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: He always had a lof friends at his house ? 

Voice of Resident: “Everybody came to look for Chingut. Chingut is well known. Chingut is a well known person. You come to Hopkins and you ask for Chingut you will find Chingut because everybody in Hopkins knows Chingut.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: So why would people want to come and be with him, or meet with him or hang with him ? They send him out ? He does errands for people and things like that ? 

Voice of Resident: “Yeah he’s a friendly guy. He’s a handy guy. Police came around that time as well because they responded to a phone call that they got of a crime happening in the area of Hopkins Village so they responded to it and that was the crime scene that they responded to at the same time. Unfortunately they were not fast enough to meet the culprit.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: You think it was one or more that one person ? 

Voice of Resident: “Well I can’t say. I wasn’t there so I can’t say but it’s a serious crime.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: But you heard when he went and knocked at your door  ? 

Voice of Resident: “Yeah. We heard the cry for help and we called the police and that’s when the police came and responded and when the police came and responded we came outside.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: So when you came outside what did you see ? 

Voice of Resident: “The motionless body of Francis Augustine.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: And what did you see on his body ? What kind of injuries ? 

Voice of Resident: “Multiple stab wounds, blood all over the place, like a pool of his own blood in the sand.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: And a stab wound to what part of his body ? 

Voice of Resident: “His neck area.”

Harry Arzu, Stann Creek Correspondent: And his chest area ? 

Voice of Resident: “And his chester area because he did not have on a shirt.”