Ernest ‘Dangalang’ Thurton
Two men are in police detention for the senseless murder of forty-one year old cyclist Ernest ‘Dangalang’ Thurton. He was killed by a single bullet to the left side of his chest at about four o’clock on Tuesday afternoon. The Weekend Warrior and long time member of Team Santino’s lived on Queen Charlotte Street in Yarborough, but was the caretaker of his aunt’s home in Junesville in the St. Martin de Porres area and it was there that he was killed. His murder, believed to have been motivated by robbery, has devastated his family and shocked the cycling community. Mike Rudon was on the scene of the killing, and today has an update to the tragedy.
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Mike Rudon, Reporting
Vibrant and popular cyclist and family man Ernest ‘Dangalang’ Thurton is now just another murder statistic in a violence-torn city. At four o’clock his body lay next to this coconut tree at number twelve Junesville Area, his life ended. He had left Santiago Castillo Limited with checks to take to the Income Tax Department. On the way he came here to check on his aunt’s house. That was his last stop and final destination. Police have acted quickly and have persons of interest in custody.
Alford Grinage
Supt. Alford Grinage, O.C., Precinct Two, Belize City Police Dept.
“He was attacked by what we now know were two male persons who inflicted the wounds to Mr. Thurton. The investigation is still going on…we have several leads that we are working on, we have two persons of interest in our custody and we are doing all that we can to ensure that we deal with this matter at this time.”
The two detainees are not cooperating at this time, but Police are trying to find witnesses who can assist with identification. They are convinced that the motive was robbery and the killers though Thurton was carrying cash. A knapsack with items belonging to Santiago Castillo Limited is missing. The grief felt by Thurton’s family on the scene yesterday was heart-wrenching, and is shared by his friends in the cycling community. Fitzgerald ‘Palas’ Joseph had known Thurton for over thirty years. He got the news yesterday evening.
Fitzgerald ‘Palas’ Joseph, Cyclist
“Mind boggling…very traumatic for most of us in the cycling world. It came as a blow to us because ‘Dangalang’ is not a trouble youth, he is not a youth that is into violence and drugs and stuff. He is a cool guy. He is a respectable rider in the Weekend Warriors Club so definitely it came as a blow to us when we heard that he was shot and killed.”
‘Dangalang’ may be gone, but he won’t soon be forgotten by the members of Team Santino’s.
Fitzgerald ‘Palas’ Joseph
Fitzgerald ‘Palas’ Joseph
“Ernest Thurton, ‘Dangalang,’ will be remembered for his strength, particularly on our team. He was a team rider. We normally gave him instructions on what to do. Riding races with Santi he always used to pamper Santi, make sure he was being wet…and myself as a rider, ‘Dangalang’ always came to me when it was time for the sprint to lead me out and to ask me if I wanted him to bring it back, to bring back the break…so certainly ‘Dangalang’ will be missed a lot…particularly on Team Santino’s. It’s a great loss for us.”
It is too late to bring back his long-time friend and fellow cyclist, but ‘Palas’ Fitzgerald sent out his own appeal to those he calls ‘trouble youth.’
Fitzgerald ‘Palas’ Joseph
“The last cyclist we lost was Elbert Pope, maybe four five years ago. He was shot and killed as well. And since then we haven’t lost any of our soldiers until now – Dangalang. It definitely has hurt us and like Minister Santi said, it’s coming closer to our homes. And you never know who’ll be next. The senseless violence clearly in my mind has to stop and it has to be something where the trouble youths have to know that they are just killing out each other…and most of the times you hear it’s just black killing black and we are just being extinct from the generation. I don’t think it’s something that we want to continue. And a message for the youths…I don’t think it makes any sense for this senseless violence to continue to happen.”
Ernest ‘Dangalang’ Thurton was planning his wedding to his long-time common-law wife. Mike Rudon for News Five.
News Five understands that one of the men detained for Thurton’s murder was in court this morning to face drug trafficking charges along with five other persons. We are told that police were waiting for him outside the court; they handcuffed him and took him away and remains in custody.
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