By Charles Gladden

BELLA VISTA, Stann Creek District, Fri. Sept. 12, 2025

   A vendor of Bella Vista Village, Stann Creek District, who was well-known and loved in the community, was found dead in a drain on Wednesday, September 10, in the village.

   At about 4:00 a.m. on Tuesday, September 9, the vendor, 38-year-old Erando Pop, departed from his home, which he did routinely to sell tamales in Placencia Village. However, he did not return home that day.

   His wife was not overly concerned at that point, because she believed that Pop might have been socializing with a few companions.

   When his wife woke up after 3:00 a.m. on Wednesday, however, she had expected to find Pop at home and ready to make the daily sales, but he still had not returned.

   Her worry began to grow when a local villager notified her that Pop’s motorcycle, cell phone, and money bag had been found several blocks down from their residence, with him nowhere in sight. She then went to the police station to make a report around 7:00 a.m.

   She was notified after 2:30 p.m. that day that Pop had been found motionless in a drain on 14th Street with several scratches on his face. It is believed that Pop may have fallen off his motorcycle due to the recent heavy rainfalls; and may have been swept away by the currents and possibly drowned.

   His body was transported to the Southern Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. It will undergo an autopsy to confirm the cause of his death.    Pop had been selling tamales for over four years with his two sons and other relatives within Bella Vista and Placencia.