Mexican Car Theft Duo Handed Three Years in Prison

A pair of Mexican nationals will spend the next three years behind bars at the Belize Central Prison after pleading guilty to the charge of theft and abetment to theft of two rental vehicles. Back in July 2023, a 2020 white four-door Kia Sorento and a 2021 white four-door Equinox, each valued at sixty thousand dollars, belonging to Budget Auto-Rental Car were stolen. The duo is comprised of Alejandro Gonzalez, who is charged with theft and Carlos Morales, who is charged with abetment to theft. They were arraigned on October 2023 and appeared today before Justice Nigel Pilgrim who stated that if the men had been tried and convicted before a jury at the High Court, then the penalty would be the same, which is no less than ten years. However, Pilgrim began the penalty at six years and after revisiting the case made before the crown and its proven elements, Pilgrim noted that the duo cost the company more than two hundred thousand dollars in losses and inflicted psychological damage as well. As a result, the starting penalty was raised to eight years. Pilgrim proceeded to deduct three years due to the pair showing signs of remorse and an additional year and eight months was deducted for their guilty pleas, leaving both with a three-year, four-month sentence for each car to be run concurrently. Pilgrim also ordered Vasquez to pay a sum of forty-six thousand, five hundred dollars with depreciation for the loss of the Equinox, while Morales was ordered to pay the sum of forty-seven  thousand, seven hundred seventy for the Kia Sorento.