Island residents are saddened with the news of the passing Habib Hajjara, son the late Paisano Hajjara, and Belize’s latest victim of gun violence.

According to reports, sometime around 3:47a.m. on Sunday, May 6, 2018, Belize Police responded to reports of shots being fired at the corner of Mahogany Street and Western Ave. On arrival police observed a silver Nissan Sentra, four door car with license plate # D7781 parked on the right hand side of Mahogany Street towards the direction of Complex Avenue. Inside the car was the motionless body of 36 year-old Sbeiro Habib Hajjara seated in the driver’s seat apparently dead.

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Another Cabbie Killed

And then early on Sunday morning - a taxi man was killed in the same St. Martin's area, probably about a quarter mile from where Guardado had been murdered.

Well know taxi man Sbeiro Habib Hajjara was murdered at the corner of Mahogany Street and Western Avenue in the early hours of Saturday morning. Hajjara was out socializing at a popular club in Belize City when he left to drop a client home. Shortly after he was shot three times. Today Sahar Vasquez found out Hajjara was a loved taxi man, friend, and family member.

Sahar Vasquez reporting
36-year-old taxi man Sberio Habib Hajjara would often start his morning by sending out cute GIFS or a positive voice message to his friends and family but now that positivity and charisma he once radiated are gone forever.

Habib's 36 years of life came to a painful end early on Saturday morning. The taxi man was out socializing at a club when he went to pick up a customer and drop them off. This is when he met his demise. His body was found with three gunshot wounds inside his grey Nissan taxi on Mahogany Street.

Habib was known to always go the extra mile for his customers no matter what time it was but lately, he observed the spike in crime and was going to stop doing late night runs. Unfortunately, he did not stop soon enough.

Voice of: Eddie Reyes, Family Friend
"Yes he did pick up people from clubs late at night so that he can take them to their homes or whatever. I know Habid was mentioning to friends and personally to me that he was going to stop working late at night because the city was getting dangerous and he said his mom also did not like his working late either because she worried about him."

According to Reyes Habib was a loved taxi man because he was reliable and extremely friendly to his customers especially when they were having a tough time.

Eddie Reyes, Family Friend
"Habib was this type of person that once you entered his taxi he would ask you how your day is going or how your day went and if you were feeling a little bit down he would be the type of person that would give you positive advice and even check on you after you had left."

And Reyes is one of the many people Habib saved with his powerful advice.

Eddie Reyes, Family Friend
"Personally I can speak when I was at my lowest he was always giving me advice and he told me that there is more to life than just to be sad, just to live life because life was meant to be lived."

Now his Facebook page that was once filled love and laughter, is filled with an outpouring of deep sorrow. Pictures, messages, and montages all honouring the life he once lived and the man they will never speak to again.

Hajjara was originally from Honduras. He leaves behind his mother, one son, and a host of other family members.

Cops Have Few Clues on Habib

Today the police told us what they know about that murder. According to them, it doesn't seem like he was robbed nor was he known to associate in any troubled activity.

ASP Alejandro Cowo- OC, CIB
"They observed a gray in color Nissan car with taxi license plates facing towards the passport building. Upon closer inspection, inside the vehicle police observed a male person with several gunshot wounds to the body. He is a Honduran national. So far what police has gathered is that he was at one of the night clubs in Belize City and that he had picked up some passenger and was supposed to transport some passenger in the Mahogany area; and that is where his body was found. So far, we don't have any suspect and the motive is something that we are still trying to establish."

Daniel Ortiz - Reporter
"Do you all believe that he picked up the person who killed him or he was attacked on the way?"

ASP Alejandro Cowo
"We don't have that information as yet so I cannot tell you if it was actually the person that he picked up or it was somebody else that did the shooting."

Reporter
"Is there any indication whether or not it was a robbery?"

ASP Alejandro Cowo
"No, there is no indication that it was a robbery. Family members have identified that all his property was with him."

The police continue to investigate.

Channel 7

Mom Mourns Only Son Habib Hajjara, Lost to Gun Violence

Thirty-six-year-old Habib Hajjara was ruthlessly done away with inside his taxicab on Sunday morning when someone shot him at point-blank multiple times while driving his vehicle along Mahogany Street.  The execution-style murder took place sometime around four a.m. when the Honduran national had just finished dropping off a female passenger he reportedly picked up from a nightclub moments earlier.  It is unclear whether Hajjara was targeted for robbery or if a hit had been placed on the well-known taxi man.  Habib was the only son to his mother, who told News Five today that she had warned him on several occasions to avoid running his cab in the wee hours of the night.

Maria Margarita Mejia, Mother of Deceased

“Sunday somebody called me and tell me how my son is, somebody killed him.  Ih seh, he is dead.  I tell ahn what?  My son, I noh believe that.  He said yes, come to the police station.  Then I gone fast, fast, looking for my clothes, took a little bath and then I went.  When I got there I met the girlfriend, they were living together, and da she mi di give interview with the police.  Then I sat there and waited for them to tell me what happened, like a half an hour later, and then one police told me that something happened…  And then I did not believe what happened.  This is my only son, my one son.  I don’t have anymore.  I feel like I’ve died because this hurts me.  My son, he did not do anything bad to people.  He’s always very nice with people, he never did anything bad.  He only went to work at nighttime and I did not know because I already told him, please don’t work at nighttime baby, please don’t work at nighttime.  He told me, “No mommy, I never work at nighttime.”

Belize City police are yet to make an arrest in the latest homicide.

Channel 5