Belize: Man in critical condition after violent machete attack in San Lazaro 

Belize: Police have launched an investigation into a violent altercation in San Lazaro Village, Orange Walk District, which left 20-year-old Elmer Pott in critical condition after he sustained a severe machete wound to the face during a heated dispute on Sunday.

According to police reports, the violent altercation occurred around 8:00 p.m. on November 9, after an argument broke out between Elmer Pott, a laborer from Corozal Town, and 24-year-old Shanir Carrillo near the San Lazaro gas station. It is said that during the alleged confrontation, Pott swung his knife and pointed it towards Carrillo, before a passerby intervened and made Pott run away from the scene.

However, the confrontation did not end there. Shortly after, as Pott was passing in front of Carrillo’s residence, Carrillo allegedly armed himself with a machete and attacked Pott, inflicting a large wound on the left side of his face.

When police arrived at the scene, they found Pott inside a nearby residence, bleeding heavily. Officers immediately transported him to the Northern Regional Hospital for emergency treatment. Officers also processed the scene and took statements from the eyewitnesses.

As of now, Pott remains in a stable condition, while Carrillo has reportedly been taken into custody by police with pending charges of aggravated assault.

As the word about the confrontation made rounds on social media, one of the locals named Daffne Novelo’ refuted what was reported by the police and stated “when a 24-year-old man was heading home after attending church. While passing a nearby gas station, another man allegedly approached him and placed a knife to his neck. The startled victim managed to break free and ran home, but the attacker reportedly followed him to his residence. Once home, the man armed himself with a machete and allegedly inflicted a chop wound to the attacker’s face before fleeing the scene. When police arrived, the injured man was found bleeding heavily and was rushed to the Northern Regional Hospital for medical treatment. His condition is listed as serious but stable. Authorities are now searching for the other individual involved as investigations continue. Police believe a personal dispute may have contributed to the confrontation.”