In another act of gun violence this weekend, two men were shot in Belize City during the early hours of Sunday morning. They are fifty-three-year-old Jeffrey Smith and fifty-two-year-old Earl Parks, who were riding their bicycles with a third companion on Hydes Lane when several shots were fired in their direction. Smith and Parks sustained injuries and were rushed to the K.H.M.H. Here is A.C.P. Hilberto Romero with more details.
“On Sunday, twenty-third of June, 2024 around one fifty a.m., police responded to issue the incident at Hydes Lane in Belize City. Upon the arrival, they found two persons with gunshot injuries. They were identified as Earl Parks and Jeffrey Smith. Information is that they were in the area at the time when they were approached by a male person who fired several shots towards the direction. They were taken to the K.H.M.H. for treatment and are now in a stable condition. We are seeking several suspects in regard to this shooting.”
Reporter
“Is this shooting gang related?”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“Yes, it is gang elements that we suspect carried it out. So we are following up on several leads.”
Reporter
“There’s no indication if these two were the person that these gang members wanted?”
ACP Hilberto Romero
“Well, they were the only ones in the area at the time when they were targeted.”
On Friday, a store was robbed at gunpoint by three men in Mahogany Heights. Police carried out an investigation and have since arrested and charged Shaun Crawford and Jahstar Gonguez. Further investigation led police to the residence of Gonguez and his common-law wife, Shondra Gonzalez. There, they found an unlicensed nine-millimeter and twenty-eight rounds of ammunition. Both Gonguez and Gonzalez were charged with illegal possession. The charges come a month after Gonguez walked away from a murder charge.
“On Friday, the twenty-first day of June 2024, around two p.m., police responded to a robbery report at a store at Mahogany Heights. Upon arrival, a complainant reported that she was at her store when three persons armed with firearms entered the building and robbed them of cash and other items. Police responded and thereafter detained several persons. An investigation was carried out. And since then, Shaun Crawford and Jahstar Gonguez have since been arrested and charged with the crime of robbery. Further investigation was carried out, which led police to a house in Seine Bight Village, where a nine-millimeter pistol was recovered in regards to this robbery report. An additional person is being charged for possession of a licensed firearm and possession of a license ammunition. That is Shondra Gonzalez.”
Public transportation is one that has been around in the Old Capital for at least four decades. It was private owners who began to offer routes in the Pen Road and Lake-I areas, then came the King’s Park Port Loyola, Call Centre and other runs later. Today, one of the ten city bus operators came out swinging at the Belize City Council over concerns about its pending e-buses project. Phillip Jones claims that the Belize City Council wants to control the city bus industry by introducing a proposal that will kick them out of business. But the City Council says nothing could be further from the truth. In fact, the council says all they want to do is give city residents an option to ride in air-conditioned comfort or not, for a dollar more. News Five’s Marion Ali has the story in this report.
Arthur Saldivar
Arthur Saldivar, Attorney for City Shuttles Ltd.
“It’s a ball-faced attempt to do, by means of economic disadvantage, strongarm from small operators and large that which they have invested in their life’s blood and experience in for, in the case of city of did more than 35 years.”
Marion Ali, Reporting
The e-buses that we’ve been hearing so much about in Belize City are much anticipated, but one transportation provider says he has many questions about that e-bus project. Attorney Arthur Saldivar called a press conference today to say that his client, Phillip Jones, believes that the Belize City Council has ulterior motives with the introduction of the e-buses pilot project.
Arthur Saldivar
“The main issue is that the regulator entering into the field and competing against those who have been developing the industry would have the unfair advantage of picking and cherry-picking routes, which means then you’re basically undermining the profitability of those entities that were providing the service from time immemorial.”
The Belize City Council says nothing could be further from the truth. This afternoon, Mayor Bernard Wagner and E-bus Coordinator, Neil Hall, called their own briefing to set the record straight. They said that the Council will charge three dollars for the e-bus runs, which is a dollar more than what bus operators currently charge.
Bernard Wagner
Bernard Wagner, Mayor, Belize City
“We are managing it, not for profit, but we have to be able to not under-price the current bus operators, we don’t want to undersell them. If I could only go and say since I get this boss free, I wouldn’t say, I could say $1 for new company bus $1. What will that do? That would be driving them out of .”
Neil Hall
Neil Hall, E-bus Coordinator, Belize City Council
“First and foremost, again, they started off their press briefing with us saying that for them to be a part of this, they will need to surrender 51 percent of their businesses. Nothing is further from the truth. At no time has anyone ever even hinted, stated, I don’t know what the word would be, that they would need to forego 51 percent of their businesses to be a part of this because they are a part of it already. I really don’t understand where their lawyer came up with, they have not been given an opportunity to speak, to be heard, or even consulted. Our route is different than any existing route that is, currently available.”
Hall explained that five bus operators were in a meeting with them just a week ago and that no one indicated that they had an issue. He said that the purpose of the pilot project is to see how well the e-buses work in Belize. After a year, the data collected on their performance would be available for the bus operators to seek loans to upgrade their fleet and run their routes. During the City Shuttle’s press conference, Saldivar also spoke of the deficiencies in the current system and the lack of proper bus stops. This is another concern that the City Council said it will address as it moves to upgrade the service. No other bus operators were present to lend support to City Shuttle Limited. Marion Ali for News Five.
On Sunday evening, a gunman targeted Joshua Gillett and Stanley Moore in the Lake Independence area of the Old Capital. Witnesses report that Joshua Gillett and Stanley Moore were travelling in a BMW when they were attacked at the junction of Mahogany and Santa Barbara Streets. Gillett, who was driving, sped to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (K.H.M.H.) with Moore dead in the passenger seat. Gillett remains in critical condition.
Stanley Moore (deceased) and Joshua Gillett (critical)
Moore’s mother, Jennifer Wade, posted a screen-recorded video of a conversation she had with her son before he was fatally shot. Moore told her, “if anything happened to me right, I am just making you know that one time that it is the police them because they are (bleeping) with me for lone (bleep).” She advises him to head home. She said on her Facebook, “Three days ago on June 20th at 12:06 AM, I received a disturbing message from my son, and today I received the most heartbreaking news that my son was murdered. I need answers about my child’s death. The worst part about it is I’m not even in Belize City I’m in New York with family members and I can’t do nothing. I need justice for my child.”
When Police Commissioner, Chester Williams, appeared on Open Your Eyes this morning, he was asked about the incident. The commissioner said investigators know who the shooter is. “We already know who the individual is and we are looking for that individual.”
“Some may say, but what were the two doing there? That is not their area. But we cannot hold them accountable for that because this is Belize. We are free to move how we want. So you can tell me that I have to confine myself to one square mile in the country.”
Vehicle that Stanly Moore and Joshua Garbutt were in when they were targetted in Belize City.
Gillett is well known to the police. He has been charged with wounding, threatening words, dangerous harm, use of deadly means of harm, and attempted murder. He’s also been shot and injured. He is a resident of Conchshell Bay.
“We have this gang world issue. There are persons who are very thinned skin. They are very insensitive and it takes just a little to spark them. I have always said, we must do our work in such a way that we don’t allow one idiot to do something stupid and that would normally create that chain of events.”
Police Commissioner Chester Williams on Open Your Eyes.
According to Williams, the recent shootings all stem from an incident at the ‘Trinibad’ concert that took place in Belize City a few weeks ago. “We saw where it went from Southside, to Supal Street, to BLC, to PIV and now to Conchshell Bay. It only takes one sparks and it spreads like a wildfire.” Williams says that officers are working to prevent future incidents.
A second man was murdered over the weekend in Belize City. Fifty-year-old Dion Bowden was fatally shot early on Saturday morning. He was on Pitts Alley when the incident occurred. His body was found lying on the ground with several gunshot wounds. Police have arrested and charged thirty-five-year-old Jeffery Pott of Belize City for Bowden’s murder. The motive is not known yet.
Dion Bowden (deceased) and Jeffery Pott (alleged shooter)
Police in Belize City are investigating yet another murder. This latest incident occurred at around 4:15 p.m. on Sunday in the Lake Independence area of the Old Capital.
Witnesses say that two men, Joshua Gillett and Stanley Moore, were travelling in a BMW when they came under attack at the junction of Mahogany and Santa Barbara Streets. Gillett who was driving rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (K.H.M.H.) with Moore dead in the passenger seat.
The Belize Police Department has brought charges against a trio of men for their alleged involvement in gang activity. Earlier today, forty-four-year-old Ian Arthurs, a resident of Rivero Street was charged with being a member of a gang. Also charged were twenty-four-year-old Kenroy Linares and twenty-four-year-old Eric Thompson.
Eric Thompson Kenroy Linares
These individuals are the latest to be arraigned for being members of a gang. On Thursday, thirty-one-year-old Austin Underwood and forty-eight-year-old Doris Grant were also arraigned on a similar offense. As we reported, the couple came under gunfire on Sunday morning while driving home from a concert even here in Belize City. Underwood and Grant were both injured in the shooting. They were treated and released before being arrested and charged.
Inspector of Police Christopher Martinez appeared before the Chief Magistrate today in a sensational case where the law enforcement officer is accused of physical abusing an individual who was in detention at the Raccoon Street Police Station. Aaron Flowers, a businessman, was inside a holding cell when he was reportedly struck over the head with a padlock. It is alleged that Inspector Martinez inflicted the injury on Flowers when he discovered that Flowers was the person who allegedly opened fire at his residence with a firearm. In court today, Flowers said that he has been harassed repeatedly and offered bribes by fellow police officers to drop the charges against Martinez. His attorney sought clarification of the sentencing indication should the officer plead guilty. The Chief Magistrate, who has set the matter for trial indicated, that her range of sentence will be guided by the law. Martinez is looking at possible jail time due to the nature of the offense. The Chief Magistrate also made it clear that she would be imposing a custodial sentence. With that, Martinez rejected the court offer and a date for trial was agreed upon. Of note is that Martinez’s attorney, Andrew Bennett, has since recused himself from the matter, leaving the police officer unrepresented.
The Ministry of Education today responded to a press release issued by the University of Belize Faculty and Staff Union (UBFSU).
As we have reported, UBFSU criticised the Briceño administration over what it described as “unfulfilled promises.”
In its release, the ministry stated that it is “deeply committed to the responsible, sustainable development of the University of Belize (UB).”
“The Ministry’s objective is to have a clear plan for the sustainable, responsible financing of the national university. An element of that plan is to increase the subvention to UB from the current level to BZ$10M in the 2025/26 financial year,” the release further stated.
In an interview with News 5 on Thursday, the union’s president, Dr. Pio Saqui, told the government to “restore the subvention as it was prior to COVID and make good on the promise orhonor the promise that they made to increase the subvention a million dollar each year, up to fifteen million dollars which is where it should be around now.”
The National Trade Union Congress of Belize (NTUCB) is supporting the UBFSU. In a press release, the umbrella union urged the PUP to “demonstrate accountability,” as they stand in solidarity with “UBFSU’s call for the PUP to honour its commitments to the University of Belize and its faculty, staff, and students.”
Police in San Pedro Town are investigating the fatal shooting of forty-six-year-old Steven Francis Arceo.
Arceo was shot last night at around 9:45 near Secret Beach. An official statement from the police says, “Officers found the lifeless body of a man with gunshot wounds, partially inside a house.”
Police say that twenty-seven-year-old Alexi Marcelo Chavarria shot Arceo several times.
Investigators say that Chavarria was asleep when he heard “strange noises.”
“Investigating the sounds, Chavarria discovered an intruder entering his home through a kitchen window. Chavarria then shot the alleged intruder with his licensed 9mm pistol,” the official police report stated.
Arceo’s body was transported to the San Pedro Polyclinic, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. A post-mortem examination is pending.
The Department of Environment (DOE) today officially opened its office in San Pedro Town.
The office opens avenues for development and change on Ambergris Caye, as the D.O.E. is responsible for managing natural resources, preserving and protecting the environment, and controlling pollution.
The office houses three departments: NEMO, DOE, and the Forest Department.
Minister of Sustainable Development and Climate Change Orlando Habet told News Five, “I think it is very important because it lends itself to a lot of collaboration and partnership.”
“It also reduces costs in terms of transportation. It reduces time because when you get a call to do some inspection or some type of compliance for the forest or the Department of Environment then you have to send people from Belmopan to here. It costs you in hotel and food and everything else. So I think that really helps us”, added Minister Habet.
During the opening, Minister of the Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management Andre Perez stated, “We come together to celebrate a very historic occasion…We are ensuring that the people of San Pedro are served well. Not only San Pedro, of course, but Caye Caulker, Caye Chapel, and other islands, including Turneffe.”
