PUNTA GORDA MAN RECOVERING AFTER BEING SHOT

December 21, 2007

A shooting yesterday evening has shaken up residents of Punta Gorda Town.

A salesperson for Bowen and Bowen agent in Punta Gorda was robbed and shot yesterday evening.  Correspondent Paul Mahung has been following the story since last night.

Paul Mahung,Love FM:

“It was around 7 pm last night that 29 year old Darwin Pate is an employee of Arthur Johnson and he is the Toledo distributor of Bowen and Bowen and he has just returned from a major delivery and sale in Toledo and was to come back to PG with the proceeds of the sale. It is reported that he has a knapsack with him and it is reported that the cash was in the knapsack from the delivery sales and he was standing outside the distribution center in an area by the street side by Dreamlights Club and the club is located at a very strategic location in PG because this is where Mahung’s Hotel is right across the road and all the buses stop right in that area when it comes to town. The reports indicated that he was waiting to handover the money to management when the reports indicate that he was approached by one male person who in a very short moment allegedly struggled briefly with Darwin to get the knapsack and in the process it’s alleged that the person shot Darwin and he made his escape as Darwin fell to the street. Mr. Arthur Johnson, the manager of the business there wasn’t too far from the area and along with others they helped to transport Darwin to the PG hospital.”

Pate reportedly received one gun shot wound to the left upper part of his body.  Because of the severity of the wound, medical officers at the P-G hospital decided to fly Pate out to Belize City, but things did not work out as planned.

Paul Mahung,Love FM:

“The medical team at the hospital treated him and I think they decided that it was necessary to fly him our and so the British army helicopter arrived some time after 9 pm last night and they boarded Darwin onto the helicopter and just as it was about to take off the engine shut down again and they called for the doctor of Punta Gorda who was out on the airstrip and it was his report that Darwin was vomiting and the medical team from the British helicopter said it wasn’t safe because of the elevation and flying in the night and because of what was happening to Darwin they made a major decision that they couldn’t take him and he was taken out of the helicopter and into the ambulance and sped along to the PG hospital. The reports indicate that they tried to send him to Southern Regional on the ambulance which they did.”

Pate was eventually transported to the Western Regional Hospital in Belmopan where we understand he underwent surgery early this morning.  Love news spoke earlier today with Pate’s wife, Zita Pate who updated us on his condition.

Zita Pate,wife of Darwin Pate:

“He’s stable and sleeping but between sleeping and waking he’s not talking as much. He’s just complaining of pain in his spinal cord.”

Patrick Jones,Love FM:
“Where did your husband get shot? Where did the bullet make an entry?”

Zita Pate,wife of Darwin Pate:

“To the left side, it punctured his lungs, his intestine and went to the spinal cord and fractured a little piece of some bone inside it.”

Patrick Jones,Love FM:
“What are the doctors telling you about his prognosis?”

Zita Pate,wife of Darwin Pate:

“Well right now they are just waiting for the swelling to go down and after than I think they will send it off to Belize City to check on the spinal cord and what damage has been done there because if they remove the bullet, there will be severe bleeding inside which could cause injury and problems.”

The incident has left most residents of Punta Gorda shocked and angered and asking for justice as Paul Mahung tells us.

Paul Mahung,Love FM:

“And the reactions as people were talking that they were very angry about this incident for this municipality because it’s not something that is very common and it’s very unusual for PG and down here at this time. We know we had major robberies in Big Fall and earlier this year too which a lady was beaten up but the police acted fast on that but their reaction of the crowd was that they were angry about this whole thing and we pray that justice will be taken into place. I understand that there are several people being held for questioning but I don’t know from the police because I saw them last night on the move, on the go and they had to have on their bullet vests last night because apparently the person who allegedly shot Darwin was definitely armed.”

Mahung says several people have been detained for questioning.  Darwin pate is the father of two children.

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