This morning, Queen Square Primary and Wesley Upper schools in Belize City were evacuated due to a bomb threat at Wesley Upper School. The schools, located across from each other on Dolphin Street, were quickly cleared by law enforcement, and the all-clear was given within thirty minutes. Parents and guardians were notified to pick up their children.
A parent from Queen Square Primary shared, “I received a text about a bomb threat and came immediately to get my child.” A guardian from Wesley Upper mentioned, “I initially thought it was a false alarm but came to ensure my brother’s safety.” Despite varying levels of concern among parents and guardians, the swift response ensured all students were safe.
A man was murdered in Belize City on Thursday evening. He has been identified as Alfredo Enrique Rodriquez David. According to Police, a couple that went fishing discovered David’s lifeless body face down at the edge of the seaside in an area near the Port of Belize. When the police arrived at the scene, they discovered a bicycle, a bucket with some fish inside and a brown school bag, all on the edge of the seashore. About one hundred yards away from the items, through a mangrove trail, police discovered David’s lifeless body with multiple gunshot injuries. Several expended shells were retrieved from the scene. We spoke to a relative of David. Here is what she told us that the family last saw him around eight-thirty on Thursday morning.
Voice of: Shantel Serrano
Voice of: Shantel Serrano, Relative of Deceased
“His wife was already concerned form after eleven, because he told his wife he was going to be returning home before lunch. But to her knowledge, or what she though, was that when he was having a good day he would stay out and continue having a good day. So she was saying her husband is probably catching a lot fish. He is being successful so he is trying to finish the day. She became concerned a little after six when it got dark and he did not return. When she was talking to me, because I came home from work around after four. She was talking to me and she was concerned about him not return. So I told her relax she must have gone to visit someone or whatever the case may be. But she was very fidgety, up and down, could not sit down and I was wondering why. She was really worried so I told her just relax, if a certain time come she will reach. We saw Love News posted they found a body and the description was exactly the way he left home. As she saw that she came running up the stairs to tell me. When I went and saw the post, I don’t know how I skipped that, I was just looking at the details so I didn’t realize that until when we came to the police station and that is what they told us and we were like what, shot? My thing was when they found the body I thought because of the sting he got maybe he caught cramp, maybe he drown. But when we realize it is a police case then we wondered why and that is when we found out it was a shot. Why, why when Louis was someone if Louis doesn’t know you he would pass and speak to you. Louis speaks very English very few, he speaks mostly Spanish. He is a Honduran he doesn’t mingle a lot and he is a life of the party when it comes to cultural. Drumming’s he was there, but he is not a person that had a problem with anybody. Louis has been in Belize for many years, and you could ask the police they have never had to pick up Louis for no reason.”
The lifeless body of sixty-one-year-old Gilbert Flowers was found floating off Deadman Caye on Tuesday. Flowers, a former resident of Mullins River Village, who moved to Belize City a few years ago, spent most of his days at sea as a fisherman. Last week, he and two other men travelled to the area to prepare their gears ahead of the opening of the lobster season. Flowers, however, went missing on Saturday under what his family is describing as mysterious circumstances. His body was not found until three days later in a mangrove area not too far from where he was staying. Flowers’ relatives are tonight seeking answers as they wait for a postmortem to be concluded on his body. We spoke with his nephew, Albert Magdaleno who told us that reports of his uncle’s death came as a shock to them.
Albert Magdaleno
Albert Magdaleno, Nephew of Deceased
“At this moment everything is still mystery because for the past three to four years he has been working out at sea. He used to regularly send fish for me, so I get my fish supplies and I am telling you, big snapper, the man handle me. But this week, I think it was Monday or Tuesday, one of his co-worker friends called me and said boy I have bad news for you. They found your uncle floating up in the sea dead. I asked how, because he is a man known to the seas. He is originally from Mullins River, came to live in Belize City. When he came to live in Belize City he use to work on those boats where they go and dig sand from Robinson point and brought it to sell. So, sea and working on the seas dah nothing new for him. So to hear he drowned is like what. So, we are still trying to gather information. All we know is that the Coast Guard found his body somewhere out on Turneffe and then they brought in his body and took it to Burrel Boom for postmortem. I don’t know if it happened as yet. But from that point, we don’t know anything else.”
Paul Lopez
“From your knowledge, was there a period where he was missing?”
Albert Magdaleno
“For about three days until they made it publicly known that the was missing and then they called in the coast guard and the gentle men that were out there assisted to help find his body.”
Paul Lopez
“Do you know if anybody else was out there?”
Albert Magdaleno
“From what I heard, him and two other guys, cause they do lobster traps for cray fish, and so they have to prep the traps. It is only three of them that was supposed to be on the island. But I know his friend is very upset because he suspect that something went adrift, it is not normal.”
An alleged gunman also appeared before Justice Candace Nanton today where the Crown closed its case in a trial for attempted murder. Kareem Franklin is accused of trying to kill a pair of police officers during a drive-by shooting that took place on Mahogany Street in March 2016. Despite being caught on surveillance footage with a firearm in his hands, Franklin denies that he was ever on the scene and fired shots at the officers. Franklin is on trial for the attempted murder of P.C. Stephen Choco and Joseph Sutherland. It is alleged that the policemen were on motorcycle patrol on Mahogany Street when they came across Franklin who was also a passenger on a motorcycle. The driver of the motorcycle was signaled to pull over. Instead of doing so, the driver sped off and a pursuit ensued. That’s when Franklin reportedly produced a handgun and opened fire in the direction of the officers. Franklin claims that on the day of the incident, he was at home and around one o’clock that afternoon, he went over to a football field where his mother was watching him play football. He says that’s when they heard the gunshots. Kareem Franklin is being represented by attorney Ronnel Gonzalez. Franklin is on remand at the Belize Central Prison.
A retired police sergeant has been convicted of the rape of a child and sexual assault and tonight he is on remand at the Belize Central Prison until he is sentenced on July sixteenth. Earlier today in the High Court of Justice Candace Nanton, the sixty-six-year-old former officer was found guilty of molesting and raping his seven-year-old stepdaughter. The crown was able to prove the charges during the testimony of the child with corroborating evidence from the little girl’s mother, as well as a teacher whom she confided in. The minor, who testified in camera, told the court that sometime between October fifth and December seventeenth, 2021, her stepfather raped her. A few months later, in April 2022, he molested her. Justice Nanton, in finding the stepfather guilty, concluded that the testimonies of the child, her mother and teacher only strengthened the prosecution’s case. The retired policeman denied the allegations and told the court that the entire story was fabricated. Ahead of his sentencing, a victim impact assessment, as well as a social inquiry report and psychiatric evaluation have been ordered.
This week, we’re shining a spotlight on resilience in small business—a quality every entrepreneur understands. It’s the grit and determination to persevere when the odds seem insurmountable. Nahomy Usher embodies this spirit. As a single mother and seasoned entrepreneur with over a decade of experience, she’s faced her share of challenges. When one business failed, she didn’t give up, she created another. We caught up with her at her booth at the Mahogany Street Reserve Project and found this week’s look On the Bright Side.
Sabreena
“Maanin Ms. Nahomy, Can I order some breakfast please?”
Nahomy
“Yes babe, what can I get you?”
Sabreena
“I’ll have your grilled sandwich with cheese and ham.”
Sabreena Daly, Reporting I’m here at one of my favorite places to enjoy a delicious Belizean breakfast or lunch. For many in Lake Independence, it is also their go-to location on Mahogany Street for a quick bite in the morning. It’s called Belize City Tacos, but if you look on the menu, tacos are nowhere in sight.
Nahomy Usher
Nahomy Usher, Owner, Belize City Tacos “My shop is named City Tacos and I think it’s a funny thing when people pass around here because when they come in the morning and ask can I have three dollars tacos or two dollars tacos? And I’m like, no, we don’t have any tacos. This is what we have on the board.”
The confusion comes from the owner, Nahomy Usher, being the face of one of her first business ventures– The “real” Belize City Tacos that was situated on Yarborough Road. Usher is a resilient entrepreneur who began her journey at twenty-two years old when she started selling tacos and other corn-based meals. She also had a small business renting a bouncy house, a feeding program, and even sold cooked beans.
Sabreena Daly
“Where did all these ideas come from, from the Bouncy House to cooked beans?”
Nahomy Usher
“When my son was three years old I wanted something different for a party and I saw this post on Facebook. That inspired me to do my own little Bouncy House business. I saved up the money from where I was working and that’s how that became. Then the beans business became because we Belizean people, well, we Belize city people, we like everything easy. So I said people will want beans already cooked if they get up late. Just purchase a pound of beans that’s already cooked and put it on the stove. It was successful. I still sell beans up to now when people order.”
Usher’s enduring spirit has brought her through successful ventures but has also taught her perseverance. When one business failed, she went on to another.
Nahomy Usher
“I remember COVID came and then it affected my Bouncy House business. I actually had some new bouncy houses, but because of the lockdown, I couldn’t do it anymore because they started rotting away. So then I decided to open back up a food shop and the same thing happened with the kids program. Two years of them being at home locked me up and I was there thinking, what can I do? What can I do again? And I started again with the breakfast in a box.”
Sabreena
“You get to choose what you would like to place inside the box. This morning, I went with a grilled sandwich. With the morning crowd, and the quality meal, Usher makes it look easy.”
Sabreena Daly
“As an entrepreneur, what would you say has been the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome in the span of 11 years?”
Nahomy Usher
“My biggest challenge has been financial. Financial and then advertising. I had to find my own ways of advertising and my own ways of getting my financial income to come in so that I can be able to have this that I have now.”
Usher started her business at a humble location just a distance from where she is now. She didn’t have much space, only a wish to stay in her community. So, when the opportunity presented itself for her to secure a booth with the Mahogany Street Reserve Project, Usher crossed her fingers.
Nahomy Usher
“I saw the opportunity here at Mahogany. It’s a busy street and I bring something different here from everybody else that has a shop here and people are pleased with it. So when I heard the news that they were going to build small booths for us, the people that were renting shops, it was good news. Until I got that key in my hand, I was like, thank God. You know, it was a relief not paying rent anymore. I was paying 300 to 400 a month. Now I am saving that . It’s a great help that I got. So, when you believe in yourself, when you remain focused, you go a long way.”
Gesmy Bernardez has been working with Nahomy for the past eight months and is also inspired to be in her shoes one day.
Gesmy Bernardez
Gesmy Bernardez , Helper, Belize City Tacos
“We sell breakfast, we sell lunch, and so on. The things that we sell the most is the stuffed Jacks in the morning, the waffle, the pancake wrap, we have wraps also, and grilled sandwich, and bagels and croissants. It’s good to be independent. And then to work for yourself, especially since we have a lot of single mothers out here., We try out here for our kids. We try different things. Sometimes when you work for other people, it doesn’t really work out, so it’s good to try things for yourself.”
Nahomy Usher
“You know, once you put God in everything that you do in a business, in your life, he will be the one to guide you. He is the one that told me not to give up. He has something for me. We can only see from a certain point of view, but he’s seen everything that he has for me in life, and he was the one that helped me where I am today apart from my customers.”
Police have identified the man who was found with a gunshot wound last night. An official report from the Belize Police Department says the person has been identified as Alfredo Enrique Rodriguez David.
David’s body was discovered around 5:00 p.m. Police are investigating.
A man from Mullins River Village was found dead at sea earlier this weekend. He has been identified as sixty-one-year-old Gilbert Flowers.
His body was retrieved near Deadman Caye near Turneffe Atoll.
His nephew, Alberto Magdeleno of Ladyville Highlights said, ” He was one of the original guys who worked on sand boat sailing to Robinson point and back to Belize city on those classic sailing boats such as RADIO AND UNITED.”
He said they remain uncertain about how he died.
The investigation has revealed that Flowers and others left for Deadman Caye on May 31st in preparation for the lobster season, which begins on July 1st. Flowers stayed on the island, while the others reportedly returned to Belize City. When they went back to the island, Flowers was nowhere to be found.
His body was found on Tuesday morning by Coast Guard officers.
Police in Belize City are investigating an apparent murder. The body of a man was found with multiple gunshot wounds near the Port of Belize in Belize City yesterday. The unidentified man is believed to have been fishing in the area when he was murdered.
Investigators found a backpack, bucket, and bicycle near the body.
Police are searching for four individuals involved in the theft of a Colombian vessel belonging to Stake Bank Limited.
The investigation began after a report on Thursday, June 6, 2024, indicated that four men, one armed with a firearm, entered the Stake Bank compound on mile 5 on the George Price Highway. According to police, the men assaulted two security guards and stole the company’s Colombian vessel that was docked in the canal.
