Belize: Bartender hospitalised after intervening in violent altercation at Placencia Village

Belize: A 41-year-old man, a bartender, was hospitalized after being held underwater in a lagoon while intervening in a violent altercation on Monday night, at the Otherside in Placencia Village which has also left several other members injured. Reportedly, it was a domestic dispute involving several people.

The person has been identified as 41-year-old David Dorian Jones, a bartender of Placencia village who was found unconscious and was unable to breathe. 

According to police reports, the incident took place on Monday night, at around 9:30 p.m., when a 23-year-old Kelly Ical, resident of Sunset Pointe Road, confronted a 42-year-old Araceli Aguilar, resident of Amara Avenue, Belize City. 

Reportedly, the confrontation occurred over the accusations that Aguilar was behaving flirtatiously with Ical's 29-year-old common-law-partner Devaney Tillet, resident of Sunset Pointe Road, following which the situation escalated. 

But the moment got heated when Ical allegedly struck Aguilar in the head with a broken Landshark pint bottle, which caused her facial and head injuries which further resulted in Aguilar falling into a pool. Following which, the common-law partner of Iscal approached her and started punching her. He also choked her and kicked her several times during the confrontation. 

Jones, the victim and the bartender, then saw the situation and stepped in to defend Ical, during which he allegedly used a conch shell to strike Tillet in the face and caused him injuries to his upper lip and forehead. After that the situation escalated more and the fight slipped into a nearby lagoon where Tillet allegedly held Jones underwater, causing him to swallow water and later experience severe breathing difficulties.

Following which the bystander , the people who were witnessing the incident intervened and managed to separate both the involved individuals before the situation worsened. The people also contacted the officials and reported the incident. 

Reacting to the report, the officers immediately arrived at the location and found David Dorian Jones who was lying unconscious and was experiencing difficulty in breathing. The officers then arrested all the four people and issued them a medico form before taking them to the Placencia Polyclinic for treatment. 

On arrival, all the persons were initially treated but the condition of Jones started worsening in the night as he began coughing blood and continued having trouble breathing which made him to be transferred to the Dangriga Southern Regional Hospital for further medical attention. 

The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the matter is still ongoing as police took all the individuals in custody and are waiting to lay official charges on them.