A deadly early-morning attack on a Belize City street has ended with a local man facing formal murder charges, court documents confirm.
On May 11, 2026, at approximately 12:30 a.m., patrolling police officers responding to routine checks stumbled upon an injured 56-year-old Mark Longsworth, a working caretaker, at the intersection of Mopan and Ebony Streets. First responders immediately rushed Longsworth to the nearest local medical facility for emergency care, but he ultimately succumbed to his stab wounds a short time after arrival.
One day after the fatal incident, law enforcement officials took 53-year-old Ralph Sherlock Martinez Sr, an unemployed resident of Belize City, into custody. On Tuesday, May 12, Martinez was arraigned on a single charge of murder for his alleged role in Longsworth’s death.
Longsworth, who leaves behind an estranged wife of more than two decades, is being mourned by his family and community as local legal proceedings move forward against the accused. Police have not released additional details about a possible motive for the stabbing as of press time.