By Breaking Belize News Staff: The search for 21-year-old Jamir Arana of Belize City has ended in tragedy after his body was discovered along the Hummingbird Highway early Thursday morning, October 22, in what police are investigating as a fatal hit-and-run.
Arana, who had autism, was reported missing on Wednesday after becoming separated from his mother in Belize City.
During a police press briefing on Thursday, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Stacy Smith, Staff Officer of the Belize Police Department, confirmed that police received information about an unresponsive male along the highway around 5:30 a.m.
Investigators discovered a vehicle’s rear bumper at the scene, and a subsequent search several miles away led officers to a pickup truck believed to have been involved in the incident.
The vehicle has been impounded and its owner detained as police continue their investigation.
ASP Smith revealed that social media reports suggested Arana had boarded a passenger bus toward Belmopan and was subsequently seen within the city limits. However, investigators have not conclusively established how he travelled from Belize City to the area where his body was found.
Smith also expressed concern that several people reportedly saw the young man during his journey but did not contact authorities until after the tragedy.
She suggested that some witnesses may have remembered Arana because something about his behaviour or demeanour attracted their attention.
The senior police officer urged members of the public to promptly report sightings of missing or vulnerable persons, stressing that even a brief telephone call could potentially save a life.
Smith described the incident as regrettable and raised concerns that earlier intervention might have prevented the tragedy.
Investigations continue.
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