Four Charged In Connection With Aggravated Burglary and Rape

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Nov. 11, 2009

Cannon Obispo, 21, a construction worker of Teakettle, a.k.a. “Ghetto Village”, who allegedly burglarized a house in Freetown Sibun and sexually assaulted a 62 year old Canadian woman, was charged with rape and aggravated burglary when he appeared yesterday in the #6 Magistrate’s Court. Magistrate Sharon Fraser explained to Obispo that she would not take a plea from him because the charges are connected and rape is an indictable offence. She also explained to Obispo that the Court could not offer him bail because of the nature of the offences. She remanded him into custody until December 23.

Before he was escorted from the Courtroom Obispo told Magistrate Fraser that he was burned on several areas of his body by the Police. He said the Police poured hot water on his penis, his chest, his head and in his ear. He said that before he was brought to Court he was taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital for treatment.

The incident occurred on October 12. According to the allegation, Obispo armed with a firearm entered the house of Canadian national Harold Reeves and raped Reeves’ wife in his presence. Obispo also allegedly stole money and items amounting to $32,780 in value. Among the items was Reeves’ 1999 Chevy Blazer.

The police have recovered two of the stolen items – a laptop computer and a 32 inch flat screen television. Consequently, Tan Jing Xiao, 22, a Chinese shopkeeper of Cotton Tree, was charged yesterday with handling stolen goods for the laptop. Xiao pled not guilty to the charge when he appeared in the #3 Magistrate’s Court.

He was released on bail of $2,000 and his case was adjourned until December 1. On that date he is to appear in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court where the case will be tried. Two others, Richard Bishop, 62 and his common-law wife, Genevieve Enriquez, 31, were charged with handling stolen goods for the flat screen television. They too appeared in the #3 Magistrate’s Court and pled not guilty to the charge. They were both released on bail of $1,000 and their case was adjourned until December 21 when they are to appear in the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court for trial.

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