An Abbotsford, B.C. man murdered this week while vacationing in Central America appears to have been targeted because of his iPhone.
Tim Alexandre Vallee-Apostolakis was shot in the head early Wednesday morning on Roatan, a picturesque island off the Honduran coast.
Local media reports suggest the 34-year-old had been out bar-hopping with a pair of Honduran women at around 1 a.m. when two men in a pickup truck approached him and demanded his Smartphone – then killed him.
Altec Travel manager Ruben Grubner specializes in Central and South American destinations, and cautions clients against visiting Honduras under any circumstances.
“Don’t go. Simple as that,” Grubner said.
Honduras is considered the murder capital of the world, four times worse than Mexico. There’s a violent death in the country every 74 minutes.
If travelers insist on visiting Honduras, Grubner recommends they leave valuables like Smartphones at home.
“This is a country where people have no money,” he said. “An iPhone is gold.”
Vallee-Apostolakis, who worked for the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, accessed his Facebook page on Tuesday to comment on a World Cup qualifying game between Canada and Honduras.
“Watching my country getting nail (sic) solid,” he wrote. “I guess we should stick to hockey.”
It was his final Facebook entry.
On Friday, the DFO issued an email statement offering condolences to his family.
“Our thoughts are with them in what we know must be a very difficult time,” it read.
The Department of Foreign Affairs says Canadian officials are in contact with Honduran authorities to gather information on the murder.
Reports suggest one Honduran suspect has already been arrested, while police continue to search for a second.
With a report from CTV British Columbia’s Shannon Paterson
