Angel Gabriel Cisneros, a 15 year-old native of San Pedro Town who moved to Orange Walk to live with his sister 7 months ago, was found dead on National Heroes and Benefactors Day. Police have reason to suspect that he may have taken his own life, but they are not ruling out the possibility that his death could have been a murder.
At around 8:45 a.m., on Monday, March 12, police visited an area in the Village of San Jose Palmar, in the Orange Walk District. In some nearby bushes, a search party, which included police officers, found the body of Cisneros in an advanced state of decomposition. He was found in a kneeling position, with a nylon strap tied around his neck, which was hanging from a tree branch.
Assistant Police Commissioner Joseph Myvette, the Head of the National Criminal Investigations Branch, commented briefly on the case. According to ACP Myvette, Cisneros’ sister told police that he left her house on Saturday, March 3.
Myvette said, “Initial investigation with the family revealed that the deceased was having some problems and as a result of being disciplined, he decided that he will leave home.”
9 days later, he was found dead, and a post-mortem certified that he died from asphyxiation due to hanging. Police say he had died 5 days before being found.
ACP Myvette was asked if police suspected play, and he said that at this time, there is no evidence to support that.
He did acknowledge, when questioned by the press, that a person can be forcefully hanged, and that it does not automatically mean that he took his own life.
To that inquiry, he responded, “Yes we are aware of that, this is still an ongoing investigation. The investigation does not stop there.”
