BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec. 21, 2011

By Roy Davis

Eric Barrow, 50, a construction worker residing at 18 Raccoon Street, who allegedly used a wire to pull out 25 Smart telephone cards from a Chinese grocery shop, was charged with burglary when he appeared in the #2 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, December 19.

Barrow pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser offered him a bail of $7,000 and adjourned his case until February 14 2012. Barrow was unable to meet bail so he was remanded into custody at Belize Central Prison.

The incident occurred around 9:45 a.m. on November 10 but Barrow was not apprehended by the police until Friday, December 16.

Andy Chen, 20, the owner of Honey Shop, located at the corner of Raccoon and Curassow Streets, reported to the police that he was inside his shop when he heard a noise by the window. He said when he looked he saw his neighbor with a wire pulling telephone cards from his shop through a window.

Chen said he hollered at the man and he ran and escaped.

The telephone cards have a value of $125.

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec. 21, 2011

By Roy Davis

Joyce Belisle, 38, a former cook for the Police Department charged with possession of 0.11 grams of crack cocaine, was fined $500 by Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser on Monday, December 19 after she pleaded guilty to the charge.

Belisle, who is a mother of four, said she doesn’t smoke drugs and she had the crack cocaine because she had a toothache and she was advised that it would ease the pain if she puts the drug on her tooth.

But although she was fined and given time to pay, Belisle was taken to Belize Central Prison to begin serving 3 years and 3 months in default of payment of court fines for two previous convictions for drug offences.

Belisle’s common-law husband, Robert Galvez, 57, a.k.a. “Pompidou”, was charged jointly with her.

The charge against Galvez was withdrawn after Belisle guilty plea was accepted, but he was taken to prison to serve time for an outstanding court fine of $300. Galvez is also a parolee and the Parole Board will decide if he has violated his parole.

The bust occurred around 5:40 a.m. on Saturday, December 17.

The police reported that they went to Galvez house at Mile 16 ½ on the Northern Highway to search for firearm and drugs. When the police searched Galvez bedroom they found the crack cocaine wrapped in foil paper.

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec. 14, 2011

By Roy Davis

Orlando Reyes, 24, a plumber who was one of 7 persons charged with kept firearm and ammunition without a gun license, was sentenced to 5 years for each count after he pleaded guilty to the charges in the #2 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, December 12.

Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser, who imposed the sentences, stipulated that they are to run concurrently. This means that Reyes will only serve 5 years, the minimum sentence for firearm and ammunition offences.

Although Reyes pleaded guilty, the prosecution did not withdraw the charges from the others. They are Earl Gill, 23, a security guard residing in Sandhill; Jamie Young, 28, an office assistant employed by the Public Utilities Commission; Kevin Vaccaro, 26, a boat captain residing in Sandhill; Janine Henry, 22, a resident of Perez Road, Ladyville; Natalie Middleton, 19, a resident of Kraal Road; and a 17 year old boy. They were remanded into custody until January 3, 2012.

The incident occurred around 3:25 a.m. on Saturday, December 10.

The police reported that they received information that there was a firearm in a vehicle travelling on the Northern Highway toward Sandhill, and they intercepted the vehicle, a silver Infiniti car, at the junction of Burrell Boom Road and the Northern Highway.

When the police searched the car they found one black 9 millimetre pistol Luger brand in the glove compartment. The firearm had a magazine that contained 8 live rounds of 9 millimetre caliber ammunition. None of the occupants of the car were able to produce a license for the firearm and ammunition so they were all taken into custody and charged.

Gill was the driver of the car. Reyes and Henry were in the front seat while the others were seated in the back seat of the car.

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec. 14, 2011

By Roy Davis

Elwin Vaccaro, 19, an unemployed charged with theft of a gold chain with a value of $500, was sentenced to 3 months today by Chief Magistrate Ann Marie Smith after he changed his plea from not guilty to guilty.

Chief Magistrate Smith imposed the custodial sentence even after Vaccaro apologized for committing the theft.

The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on March 11, 2011.

The police reported that they were informed of a disturbance on West Collet Canal Street near to the Michael Finnegan market and when they arrived at the scene they were approached by Ernestine Pou who told then Vaccaro had just ripped off a gold chain from around her neck.

Vaccaro was apprehended by the police shortly afterwards and Pou’s gold chain was recovered.

Vaccaro has another charge of theft for which trial is pending.

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Dec. 7, 2011

By Roy Davis

Richard Russel, 30, who was charged with rape of a mother of a 9 month old baby girl, was acquitted of the charge yesterday in the court of Justice Herbert Lord.

The trial was aborted when the complainant took the witness stand and in tears said she does not wish to proceed with the matter. She did not give a reason why she did not want to proceed.

As a result, Crown Counsel Shemieza Smith, who represented the prosecution, said that in light of the indication by the complainant, the Crown Counsel is compelled to offer no further evidence.

Justice Lord then directed the jury of 5 men and 4 women to return a formal verdict of not guilty.

Justice Lord told Russell that the case has been aborted since no evidence was offered and he was free to go.

The alleged rape occurred between 6:30 p.m. and 7:00 p.m. on September 5, 2008.

The complainant, who was 16 year old high school student at the time, reported to the police that she was walking on Simon Lamb Street, between Freetown Road and Kelly Street, when a car drove up alongside her and someone from the car forced her into the car.

She said she was driven to a green house on Antelope Street Extension where she was raped.

Edwin “Drive” Flowers

Brandon Smith

Deshawn Mena

By Roy Davis

Five men charged with the murder of Randy Coye, 19, were acquitted of the charge in the Court of Justice Adolph Lucas on Friday, December 2.

The five are Edwin “Drive” Flowers, 29; Brandon Smith, 25; Deshawn Mena, 25; Leon Gray, 22; and Kenroy Humes, 22. The jury of 5 men and 7 women deliberated for less than 4 hours before it arrived at its verdict.

Coye was killed on October 2, 2009 at Lord Ridge Cemetery.

Emmanuel Willoughby, an alleged accomplice became the chief witness for the prosecution. He was granted immunity from prosecution by the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions after he gave the police a statement that implicated the five accused.

Willoughby testified that the killing of Caye was in retaliation to the shooting of Smith and he was present when Coye was stabbed beaten and shot and a piece of stick was shoved up his anus.

All five accused gave statements from the dock in which they denied having anything to do with the incident, and claimed that they were not at the scene when the incident occurred. Each of them brought an alibi witness who testified and corroborated their statements.

Leon Gray

Kenroy Humes

Obviously the jury had doubts about the credibility of Willoughby’s testimony.

Justice Lucas in his summation warned the jury of the special need for caution when dealing with Willoughby’s testimony because Willoughby might have testified to save himself.

Smith and Mena were represented by attorney Arthur Saldivar while attorney Anthony Sylvestre represented Flowers, Humes and Gray.

The Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl Lyn Vidal represented the prosecutions.

Last year the five accused were freed of the charge when it was dismissed at the Magistrate’s Court due to lack of evidence. But they were re-arrested and re-indicted.

Romolo Garcia

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Nov. 30, 2011

By Roy Davis

Guatemalan national Romolo Garcia, 49, a cane farmer of mile 12 on the Western Highway from whom charges of maim and use of deadly means of harm were dismissed yesterday in the #1 Magistrate’s Court, was re-arrested and charged with the same offences today in the #6 Magistrate’s Court.

Magistrate Dorothy Flowers explained to Garcia through an interpreter that she will only read the charges to him but she will not take a plea because the offences can only be tried in the Supreme Court.

Garcia, who was in prison from since he was first charged, was offered a bail of $5,000 and his case was adjourned until January 5, 2012.

The incident occurred on April 1, 2011 between miles 13 and 14 on the Western Highway.

According to the allegation, Garcia chopped off four fingers of the right hand of Alfredo Herrera and the weapon he used was a machete.

The charges were dismissed yesterday because the case was set for a preliminary investigation and the case file was not available.

According to a report, Herrera was killed in another incident.

Darrell Grey

Derrick Pineda

Jeremy Bernard

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Nov. 30, 2011

By Roy Davis

Seven persons, one of them a 16 year old boy, were charged with the burglary of Gadget Store in which money and items worth $75,000 were stolen; when they appeared today in the #6 Magistrate’s Court.

The adults are Darrell Grey, 28; Francis Arana, 19; Jeremy Bernard, 19; Samuel Halliday, 19; and Darrell Pineda, 19 and his brother Derrick Pineda, 20.

Magistrate Dorothy Flowers explained to them that she will not take a plea because of the value of the stolen items and the Director of Public prosecutions Cheryl Lyn Vidal will decide whether the case will be tried on indictment.

The prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that the offence is of a serious nature, that the prosecution’s case is strong because the defendants were caught red handed, that the penalty for burglary has increased from 5 to 7 years to 10 to 20 years and if granted bail the defendants might interfere with witnesses.

In response Grey said he is on parole after having served 6 years for burglary and he is innocent and the charge will cause him to lose the job he got through CYDP.

Grey said he was wrongly accused by a police officer because the officer has a personal gripe with him because of a woman.

Grey said that he, the minor and Arana were at Squeeze Before You Leave nightclub when the police came and accused them of taking part in the burglary. He said they were beaten by the police.

Halliday, Bernard and the Pineda brothers said they gave back everything that was stolen.

Magistrate Flowers upheld the objection to bail and remanded them into custody until December 30.

Bassem Chakaroun, the owner of Gadget Store, located at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Vernon Street reported that the items that were stolen included 15 laptop computers, several television games, $1,000 in cash, assorted jewelry, 24 cell phones, one Sony Camera, one Kodak video camera, phone I-phone and one I-pod.

The police reported that four of the culprits were caught by video surveillance camera.

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Nov. 30. 2011

By Roy Davis

Honduran national Shirley Lambey, 33, a domestic worker of 8888 Jane Usher Boulevard who was fined $1,000 last week after she pleaded guilty to failure to produce a visitor’s permit, was charged with aggravated assault and using threatening words when she appeared in the #2 Magistrate’s Court on Monday, November 28.

Lambey pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Although Lambey is to serve a sentence of 6 months in default of payment of the fine, senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser offered her a bail of $1,000 and adjourned her case until January 25.

The incident occurred on Thursday, November 24 at Queen Street Police Station.

Police Constable Marvin Locke reported that while Lambey was being detained at Queen Street Police Station she threw a bucket of water on him.

Locke also reported that Lambey told him that when she gets out (of prison) she will get somebody to kill him.

In Court, Lambey admitted that she threw water on Locke but said she did so after Locke shocked her with a taser gun.

Lambey also said that water was thrown in the cell she was put in and was made to sleep in water during the time she was detained.

Lambey has been living in Belize from she was 5 years old and to those who knew her, she was considered a Belizean. She is even married to a Belizean, Michael “Crazy” Arnold.

BELIZE CITY, Wed. Nov. 30, 2011

Rudolph Smith, 35, a.k.a. “Tubba”, an unemployed of Mile 17 ½ on the Western Highway who was recently released from  prison on bail, was back in court on Monday, November 28, charged with rape and aggravated burglary.

Smith was arraigned on the charges in the #2 Magistrate’s Court. Senior Magistrate Sharon Fraser did not take a plea because rape is an indictable offence.

The prosecutor objected to bail on the grounds that the complainant is only 15, the offences are of a serious nature, that Smith was recently released on bail for similar offences, and that if granted bail, Smith might interfere with the witnesses.

Senior Magistrate Fraser upheld the objection and remanded Smith into custody until December 28.

The incident occurred around 3:30 a.m. on Wednesday, November 23, at a house on Buckley’s Street.

The complainant reported to the police that she was asleep in her bedroom when she was awakened by a man who put a knife to her throat. She said the man told her to keep her mouth shut otherwise he will hurt her little brother and sister who were sleeping in a bed next to her.

The girl said she did as she was told and the man turned her over on her back and raped her.

She said after the man was finished he told her that if she said anything he will come back the next day for her little brother.

The police reported that Smith was positively identified by the girl in an identification parade.