Just before Christmas, former island resident Jose Ricardo Mendoza was convicted for the 2018 fatal stabbing of his father-in-law, Gaspar Vargas. Mendoza was tried at the High Court in Belize City, where he was given 25 years for the crime. He was sent back to the Kolbe Foundation-Belize Central Prison to start his sentence.
Mendoza was sentenced on December 21st after he pleaded down to the charge of Manslaughter in July of 2023. Mendoza was accused of fatally stabbing his father-in-law and had served some time at the central prison in 2018. However, he was reportedly out on a $40,000 bail for the charge of Manslaughter. When Mendoza pleaded guilty to this charge, he was sent back to the central prison, where he remained until his sentence.
The fatal incident happened on April 30, 2018, around 2PM at Vargas residence in the San Mateo subdivision, north of San Pedro Town. The police report stated that Vargas, a 57-year-old construction worker, received a large cut wound to his stomach. According to the report, Vargas had been socializing (drinking) with Mendoza minutes earlier when they started arguing about an old issue. The argument ended with Mendoza leaving. Afterward, the evidence in the case shows that Mendoza returned with a kitchen knife and inflicted the deadly stab on Vargas.
The commotion was heard by some family members nearby, who assisted Vargas. They rushed him to the Dr. Otto Rodriguez San Pedro Polyclinic II, where he was treated and prepared for airlift to Belize City. However, he remained in critical condition and later succumbed to his injury.
Mendoza is the third former island resident convicted at the High Court in Belize City last December. On December 20th, Delson and Tionne Paguada were convicted for the 2018 murder of Jimell Paul Jex in San Pedro. Delson was sentenced to 24 years, and his younger brother Tionne to 21 years.
