A family’s desperate search for twenty-one-year-old Jamir Arana ended in unimaginable heartbreak this morning. Just hours after the young man, who had autism, was reported missing from Belize City, police found his body along the Hummingbird Highway. Investigators believe Arana was struck in a hit-and-run and have since detained a suspect and impounded a vehicle linked to the deadly incident. Tonight, police are urging the public to act quickly when vulnerable people are reported missing, because one sighting or phone call could help save a life.
Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“Police have detained a male person and impounded a pickup truck owned by the detained individual as a part of an ongoing investigation into a hit-and-run incident which resulted in the death of 21-year-old Jamir Arana of Belize City. The investigation commenced at approximately 5:30 a.m. today, 22nd October 2026, when police were advised of the presence of a, of the body of a male person which was unresponsive. The body was observed in the vicinity of the Hummingbird Highway. Also observed on the scene of the incident was the rear bumper of a vehicle, and a further search just a few miles away led to the discovery of the impounded vehicle and the subsequent apprehension of the male person of interest. Jamir Arana, who had been diagnosed with autism, was reported missing on 21st October at around eight p.m after he had eloped from the custody of his mother in Belize City. As it relates to this incident, which is most regrettable, I have to put on record that this may have been another incident of a vulnerable person which there was a possibility for it to have been prevented. I know that we have had previous incidents m- um, in the past with persons who were diagnosed with autism or, or even minor children of them eloping and, um, meeting some unfortunate circumstance and it’s, it’s only after the fact that we see persons on social media saying, “You know, I saw this person here. I saw this person there. It can only take 30 seconds of your time to just place a call, but that call may result in saving someone’s life.”
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