On Thursday, the Department of Transport responded to an assault incident against a traffic warden that took place on November 26, 2024. The incident involved a passenger aboard a bus who targeted a Belize City Council traffic officer.
“Such acts of violence against traffic enforcement officers are unacceptable,” the department said, and reminded the public that these officers have the same powers as Belize Police officers when carrying out their duties.
Thirty-one-year-old Evan Nicholas Cain, a part-time bus conductor and care-giver from Biscayne Village, was remanded to Belize Central Prison until next Wednesday, December 4, 2024. Cain was charged with aggravated assault against traffic officer Kenrick Deshield.
“Any form of aggression toward these officers undermines the rule of law,” the department stated.
The department praised the Belize Police Department for swiftly apprehending the suspect, acknowledging that “quick action underscores the importance of upholding justice.” As a result, the department launched an investigation into the bus company involved and committed to hold them accountable for any violations of their road service permit.
However, the bus company in question had issued its own statement a day prior, stating that it “categorically rejects these allegations as false, misleading, and without merit” and denounced the claims that one of its buses was in violation of any laws. While the company admitted allowing standing passengers at times to keep things moving, it denied that any were onboard during the incident with the traffic officer. The company criticised media outlets for not contacting them for comment, claiming the story was incomplete and damaging to their reputation.
Fu We Transport Service is responding to media reports that alleged the company is operating an unlicensed, uninsured bus with standing passengers.
The company, which is located in Sandhill Village, said in a statement, “We categorically reject these allegations as false, misleading, and without merit,” denouncing the claims that one of their buses was in violation of any laws.
The company insists its buses are fully licensed, insured, and follow all safety regulations. The specific bus in question, which was rented for a temporary assignment, is “in full compliance with regulatory and safety standards,” Fu We Transport Service added. While the company admits that it does sometimes allow standing passengers to keep things moving, it says, “There were no standing passengers onboard during the interaction with the traffic officer, as claimed.” Things took a sour turn when an altercation between a traffic officer and one of their passengers occurred. The passenger was criminally charged.
Fu We Transport Services “strongly condemn any form of violence, especially against enforcement officers.”
Fu We Transport says no media outlet bothered to contact them for comment before running the story. “The story presented to the public is incomplete, skewed, and damaging to our reputation,” the company said. Fu We Transport revealed that the company is taking legal action against this kind of “fake news.”
The Belize National Teachers’ Union (BNTU) is done playing nice. In a fiery statement, the union blasted the Ministry of Education and other authorities for three months of unpaid increments and allowances. The B.N.T.U. says teachers are still waiting on their rural hardship, commuting, and responsibility allowances.
According to the BNTU, the government has been offering nothing but “flimsy excuses” for why these payments haven’t been made. The union made it clear: the situation is out of control. “Time and again our complaints have been met with flimsy excuses,” the union said, calling the issue an annual headache that’s wearing down teachers.
The B.N.T.U. says that teachers have done their part by gathering data and answering surveys and believes this has been a “waste of our time.”
“Some may argue that when the payments do come, they do so retroactively, but the Union condemns this practice and demands that any and all retroactive payments be given tax-free.”
The union isn’t backing down this time, saying, “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH!”
The B.N.T.U. says that they are tired of begging for what’s rightfully owed to teachers. The message to the ministry and authorities is clear: “The ball is in your court.”
A tragic accident in Bella Vista Village on Wednesday night left a father of four dead and a teacher injured. TV repairman Jose Samuel Hoppington was riding his red Skygo motorcycle into Bella Vista from Independence when he crossed into the opposite lane. This led to a head-on collision with another motorcycle driven by a schoolteacher, right in front of the Toledo Teachers’ Credit Union at the village entrance. News Five’s Marion Ali spoke with Hoppington’s wife, who now faces the daunting task of caring for their four sons alone. She shared that her husband had gone out to collect payment for a job earlier that day. Although he received the money, his wallet was found empty after the crash. Here’s that report.
Gritchin Hoppington
Gritchin Hoppington, Wife of Deceased
“I ask God I seh why? It’s not just to my husband this happen. I get his wallet empty. Yesterday some PC come and pick up dehn TV and paid him. He had in his hand around eight hundred dollars. That was earlier in the day. And they returned me his wallet – I can’t judge anyone because I nuh see. I just can’t believe how people could have dehn kinda heart because I have four pikni.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
Tonight, Gritchin Hoppington is grappling with many questions: what caused the tragic accident that took her husband’s life, what happened to the money he had in his wallet, and how she’ll manage to move forward and care for their four sons without him. She vividly recalls the last moments she saw her husband before he left home around nine on Tuesday night to collect payment for a job.
Gritchin Hoppington
“Yesterday evening he tell me “Babe I gwein get wa money weh I have to collect in Big Creek. So he mi di tell mi goh wid he but I tell he I have to mek the tamales for today. Soh he tell mi well okay, I weh goh. When I hear the news, I neva believe it. I can’t believe it. I mi di think da just wa accident and he deh da the hospital. When I gone da the place, I couldn’t believe it. What I feel, lotta people love him and appreciate him because he was a hard-working man.”
Marion Ali
“Have you asked the police, you know, maybe somebody moved the money out of the wallet before they got on the scene, if they have they investigated that aspect of it?”
Gritchin Hoppington
“I asked the police and they said they had to change shift soh I didn’t talk to any police so I cannot tell you. I have faith in God and I trust he’’s going to give me the strength weh I need and I know I have to fight it out and I have to mek it. I nuh have no choice.”
The grieving wife recalls how she and her husband used to hold Bible lessons every Sunday, feeding the seventy-five children who attended. That was before they returned to their home country, Nicaragua, a couple of years ago. Just hours before his death, he expressed his desire to resume this cherished vocation. She now feels determined to carry on this mission in his honor.
Gritchin Hoppington
“He told me yesterday, he seh “Babes God di bless mi wid wa lee money soh I wa buy a lot of things fi start again with the children’s ministry, “Alpha and Omega.” I seh “that’s good, I glad to hear that.” I didn’t wait for this bad news. And wi mi used to have special needs children and we mi used to deal with different children, like Spanish, Creole, Maya, everybody is welcome for us.”
Marion Ali
“Are you going to continue with that mission you think?”
Gritchin Hoppington
“Yes ma’am. I will do that.”
The teacher, Xiomara Molina, who was riding the other motorcycle involved in the crash, is currently at KHMH with injuries to her forehead, left leg, and left arm. Meanwhile, the police are investigating the accident. Marion Ali for News Five.
Tonight, Xochil Lopez, the wife of businessman Joshua Ashburn from Western Avenue, finds herself behind bars alongside her husband. The thirty-seven-year-old Belmopan resident faces four criminal charges, including possession of a prohibited firearm and ammunition, and two counts of possession of controlled drugs with intent to supply. Late this evening, Lopez appeared in Court #6, represented by attorney Dale Cayetano. She was charged with keeping a prohibited firearm without a license for a black .40 caliber Glock pistol, keeping prohibited ammunition for twenty-four live rounds, and two counts of possessing nearly nine thousand grams of cannabis. Lopez pleaded not guilty to all charges. Due to the severity of the offenses, the magistrate informed her that bail could not be granted under Section 16 of the Crimes Control Criminal & Justice Act. Consequently, she was remanded to Belize Central Prison until January twentieth, 2024. Lopez was advised that she could apply for bail at the High Court with her attorney’s help. She now joins her husband, forty-seven-year-old Joshua Ashburn, who is also in custody.
On Tuesday, a traffic officer was assaulted by up to three people, and tonight, one of the culprits caught on viral amateur footage is behind bars. The suspect, thirty-one-year-old Evan Nicholas Cain, a part-time bus conductor and caregiver from Biscayne Village, was brought to court this morning. Shortly before ten o’clock, Cain, who appeared without a lawyer, was read a single charge of aggravated assault on traffic officer Kenrick Deshield, a public officer performing his duties. Cain immediately pleaded guilty, saying, ‘I wah plead guilty, Mam”. The magistrate, exercising caution, asked if Cain understood what assault meant, to which he replied that he believed he did. After hearing the case details, Cain maintained his guilty plea. When asked what he wanted the court to consider before sentencing, Cain said, “I just want to get over this and get back home to care for my mom”. The magistrate noted his lack of remorse and asked if he wanted to apologize. Cain responded that he would apologize if given the chance, but the officer was not present. The magistrate explained the seriousness of the offense, emphasizing that Deshield was a public officer on duty. She decided to remand Cain pending sentencing and planned to summon the traffic officer so Cain could apologize in person. Cain was remanded to Belize Central Prison until next Wednesday, December fourth, 2024.
A Ladyville man convicted of sexually assaulting a twelve-year-old girl in April 2022 is back out on his old bail, despite the prosecutor’s objections. This morning, in the presence of Senior Counsel Hubert Elrington, the magistrate found 51-year-old Eric Allen guilty and detained him for sentencing at 2 PM. However, the sentencing was delayed when the court received a letter from his attorney, who was occupied with a High Court matter. The Senior Magistrate noted that typically, someone convicted of such a serious charge would be remanded to Belize Central Prison pending sentencing. However, Allen requested consideration for his medical condition, claiming he suffers from high blood pressure and seizures and needs medication twice daily. The prosecutor objected, citing the severity of the offense and the risk of Allen fleeing due to the potential jail time. After considering all factors, the Senior Magistrate decided that since Allen had consistently appeared in court while on bail and due to his medical condition, he would be allowed to go home. Allen was ordered to return to court on Monday, December 2, 2024, for sentencing. During the trial, Allen took the stand and denied the allegations, claiming the girl was lying.
Earlier today, the National Emergency Management Organization (NEMO) shared an update on all the roads that are currently impassable due to flooding. For almost two weeks now, folks in northern and western Belize have been dealing with the aftermath of Tropical Storm Sara. As the floodwaters travel down the Belize River, communities in rural and central areas are now experiencing rapid flooding. With water levels changing daily, we caught up with Nicole Zetina, the Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Disaster Risk Management, to get the latest scoop on the affected areas.
Nicole Zetina
Nicole Zetina, Public Relations Officer, Disaster Risk Management “I will start with the Orange Walk District. So we have in the San Antonio Village, the main access road for that is accessible, but not for heavy duty trucks. So with there’s still water in the road. So we’re asking heavy duty trucks, you know, the big loaders and the dump trucks, not to pass by because with that weight, it will only make it worse. San Estevan, the ferry is closed. As everything that is closed or impassable is still underwater. For the Belize District, we have Burrell Boom, the main access road is impassable for small vehicles. And the road leading to the police station is also impassable for small vehicles. And that means anything that is very low. So if you have an SUV or a four-seater truck that’s a bit higher, that is possible for you for a smaller car. We’re not advising that you pass because the water level is, is high that it will cause some damage to your vehicle or for you not to even be able to cross the road. Grace Bank, the main access road is impossible. Crooked Tree, main access road is also impassible for Lucky Strike. Free Town Sibun, both impassible for small vehicles. May Pen, completely impassible. We have Flowers Bank, Bomba, Rancho Dolores, and the Sunset Park Western Paradise Community, all impassable for small vehicles. In the Cayo District, the San Ignacio Town, the low-lying bridge, is closed. Central Farm Baking Pot Ferry is closed. The Black Man Eddy is closed. Iguana Creek Bridge is now open. The San Jose Succutz Village is closed. So that’s the Xunantunich Ferry. And yeah, that’s about it for today. Every day in the morning, we try to, as early as possible as we get the information, and this is in conjunction with the MIDH, we try to post out this information so that our traversers know to proceed with caution. So we give a daily update as we get this information.“
On Tuesday, we shared the story of Crooked Tree Village residents, who are now relying on boats to get in and out of their flooded village due to Tropical Storm Sara. Folks in Northern, Western, and Rural Central Belize are still wondering when the floodwaters will finally recede. To get a better understanding of the situation, we chatted with Nicole Zetina, the Public Relations Officer for the Ministry of Disaster Risk Management. Here’s what she had to say.
Nicole Zetina
Nicole Zetina, Public Relations Officer, Disaster Risk Management
“I can’t give you an exact time period of when we anticipate water is going down. But I will say that we are in communication with the hydrology unit every day. Every morning, every afternoon, every evening, we get some updates on what we can expect. I think they would be best suited to give you a response for that, but I will say that NEMO is ready and prepared to assist however we can for however long it takes.”
Britney Gordon
“And what has that assistance look like in terms of relief and helping these people in and out of these areas and getting them possible to shelters and stuff like that?”
Nicole Zetina
“Okay, so we are currently doing what we call active operations. So currently, we are traversing persons in Crooked Tree by boats. We are being assisted by the Coast Guard, the BDF and the Forest Department. So we’re traversing persons in and out of Crooked Tree. We’re doing the same, however trucks, BDF trucks that’s for a Flower Bank area, and then we’re providing humanitarian aid, aid assistance, and we call this a quick assistance. So for forty-eight to seventy-two hours, we provide you with your basic necessities, and then we hope to sustain this as the weeks go by, if we see the need for it. And also, we’re providing basic groceries and cleaning supplies. in Belize Rural North and Central. We have stopped operations in Rancho Dolores because the water receded in that area. And when I say operations, I mean traversing of persons in and out because the water receded, but that’s how we’re helping. So we’re helping to get people in and out of their communities and also providing food for them and cleaning supplies and where they need assistance with going to a shelter. We’re also traversing persons to and from shelters as well.”
Today, the Belize Coast Guard celebrated its nineteenth anniversary by opening a brand-new station in Big Creek Village. This new facility will enhance their patrols along the southern sea and waterways. Since its inception in 2005, the Coast Guard has continually expanded, adding more boats, personnel, and training programs, with stations now spread across the country. News Five’s Marion Ali was at the ceremony and filed this report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The Belize Coast Guard marked its nineteenth anniversary today by opening a brand-new station in Big Creek. This state-of-the-art facility enhances security for Belize’s southern waters and provides private security to the nearby Big Creek Port through a joint venture. Commandant Rear Admiral Elton Bennett shared more details about this exciting development.
“This project here is a joint venture This project here is a joint venture with Belize Coast Guard, the government of Belize and the port of Big Creek. So they leased us this property, two acres property, for us to be able to collaborate better along with them. So our mere presence here we’ll need some of the demands that they have in place. Those international regulations, such as the International Ships and Ports Security Code, that they must have some elements of security system within the port for it to meet international standards. By the Coast Guard being here and for us to be able to provide water side security and water side patrols, that in turn adds to their security credibility.”
Marion Ali
“Because you have to give so much of your service or time to that private entity, would it take away from, if in the case there is an emergency elsewhere in the area?”
Rear Admiral Elton Bennett
“Very good question. What we’ve done is to develop a specific station that is called station Big Creek that is dedicated to supporting the port in different areas more than security, but for boarding, immigration support, customs support, and police support. So there’s a dedicated team for that. And then all the other Coast Guard functions continue to be conducted out at sea. So it’s a very necessary thing for the Belize Coast Guard to participate in this because the port is a vital infrastructure to the nation. All our training are international professional standards training. So, I have all the confidence that these sailors, these seamen who are here, they know their job, they’re always on alert, so whatever call they would get, they would be able to respond very quickly.”
The Minister of National Defense and Border Security, Florencio Marin Jr., announced that the Coast Guard will continue to see infrastructural and other upgrades at various bases. These improvements aim to better equip seafarers for any situation that may arise.
Florencio Marin Jr.
“These improvements aim to better equip seafarers for any situation that may arise. And we also have to do with other improvements in the bases. I mean, even the current base right on the main base still has a lot of improvements we need to do. We’re trying to improve our personnel as you’ve heard the admiral um I’ve spoken in his speech. Alright, we have a lot of plans that is ongoing and developing. Because you’ve noticed the threat keeps changing and we have to be able to be able to be prepared for them. Now, I mean, we’ve noticed we’ve had a significant decrease in the air traffic of interests. Significant decrease. But there’s also still the threat out there in our maritime waters. The Admiral reported what happened with Guatemala, Honduras and Mexico. So we need to be prepared if at any point these things start coming into our waters.”
Stann Creek West Area Representative Rodwell Ferguson believes the new facility will boost security and lighten some of the responsibilities currently on his shoulders.
Rodwell Ferguson
Rodwell Ferguson, Area Representative, Stann Creek West
“I would get the call from different organizations, different communities, and say this is happening in my community illegally. What I do, I call whatever uniform forces that should respond, either the police or the BDF or the Coast Guard. to respond to a particular issue. But I try not to interfere, it’s their job, I just pass on the message to them, and they do what they have to do. With this facility, especially with the port nearby, and the open sea, I believe this will definitely mitigate the amount of activities on the sea, and I feel that this is a potential area to make sure the entire country has some safe activities going on.”
Bennett says the facility was built at a cost of around one million dollars and was outfitted for another half a million dollars. Marion Ali for News Five.
