ComPol Williams also questioned why the perpetrator in the Belmopan Market double murder would target children. He contended that if the accused had an issue with the parents, then the children should have been left alone. Here is how he puts it.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“It is not a mass shooting. It is a rather unfortunate incident and when I look at the video it irks me because if it is that you had an issue with the parents, if you were saying the parents were trying to poison you, why go after the children? It shows clearly that having shot the woman he pursued the child all the way to a bathroom. What could a child do to you. If you have an issue with the parents, then let it be there. It is sad. But, again, it happened and we as the police need to make sure we put the pieces together to make sure justice is served.”
Police Commissioner Chester Williams told reporters today that investigators are still trying to establish a motive for the deadly shooting that took place in Belmopan on Tuesday afternoon. The man police say killed a mother and her child has been identified as fifty-nine-year-old Robert “Bob” Joseph, a Haitian businessman believed to have been living in Belize since before 2012.
Robert “Bob” Joseph inside the Belmopan Police Station
A picture shows him shackled and sitting on the floor of the Belmopan Police Station. An official police report says that when officers arrived on the scene, “they were informed that an eight-year-old student of the Agua Viva area, Cayo District, and Laura Fiorito, a forty-four-year-old Italian housewife likewise of the Agua Viva address, Cayo District, received gunshot injuries and both succumbed to the injuries they sustained. The other two victims were identified as a 7-year-old and an 11-year-old, who were reported to be in stable condition.”
Scene where the shooting occurred.
The report said that Joseph “went to the Belmopan Market Plaza, where he allegedly met Salvatore Lopes, who was with his common-law Laura Fioreti and the three minors. Allegedly, Robert Joseph pulled a 9-mm pistol and fired shots towards Salvatore Lopes, causing injuries to Laura Fioreti and the three minors.”
Joseph has since been detained, pending an investigation.
ComPol Williams told reporters that Joseph accused the family of trying to poison him during their stay at his rental property. “The victims had rented a house, as the accused does an Airbnb rental, and the victim had rented a house from him for a period of six months.” Williams said that the family had vacated the house in January and moved to the Agua Viva area of Belmopan.
Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams
Investigators have collected several witness statements and are reviewing video evidence. The gun used to commit the murders was retrieved by investigators. Williams said, “So we believe that we have a very good case going forward.”
The U.S. Embassy in Belmopan issued a statement saying, “We stand prepared to offer support to the Government of Belize in both its ongoing investigation and broader efforts to reduce crime and violence in Belize.”
An eleven-year-old child and his mother, both from the Netherlands, are dead, following a late-afternoon shooting incident in Belmopan. News Five has been reliably informed that the woman was with her husband and two of their children purchasing ice cream inside the Belmopan Market when a gunman opened fire on them. Reporters are that the family frantically ran in separate directions to escape armed attack. The gunman allegedly pursued the two children and opened fire in their direction. He then turned to the mother and shot her. As we said, one of the children and the mother unfortunately passed away. The father and the second child were also injured in the shooting. Police are yet to issue an official report with further information on the identities of the victims, but we understand that the shooter is a Haitian-American businessman. He has been detained. As for a motive, sources have indicated that the perpetrator is claiming that the family tried to poison him. News Five understands that the father was also detained by police. We will continue to follow this story.
The City of Belmopan officially has a new city council. This afternoon, Mayor Pablo Cawich and his team of councilors were sworn-in to office. Residents of Belmopan went to the polls on March sixth and the majority voted in favor of the People’s United Party’s mayoral candidate, Pablo Cawich and his six councilors. This is the second consecutive term that the P.U.P. will lead in the Capital City. We heard from the Mayor Cawich during the ceremony. Here is what he had to say.
Pablo Cawich, Mayor, City of Belmopan
“Today marks a pivotal moment in our city’s history as we inaugurate a new chapter with the installation of this city council. It is both an honor and a privilege to stand before you as mayor and I am filled with a profound sense of responsibility and enthusiasm for the journey that lies ahead. Our city is vibrant, it is full of dreams and aspirations and it is a testament to the strength of our community as we take on the mantle of leadership, let us recognize the unique character of this city. It has diversity that defines us, challenges that shape us and the collective spirit that unifies us. Our vision for the city is not just about improved infrastructure and services; it is about modernizing and enhancing the very essence of community life. Our goals are ambitious, yet it is a shared commitment and determination that will propel us forward as we face the complexities of modern governance let us remember that our decision impact the lives of each resident.”
A motorist lost his life in the Orange Walk District on Sunday night while driving a vehicle along the Chan Pine Ridge Road. Police say that Jimmy Reyes, the driver of a van carrying two other passengers, lost control, crashed and overturned several times before coming to rest. Reyes suffered fatal injuries and died while being transported to the Northern Regional Hospital.
“On Sunday, March 10th, 2024, around 7:30 p.m., police visited Chan Pine Ridge Road where they saw the body of a male person on the street. He was identified as Jimmy Reyes. Information is that Jimmy Reyes was driving an Astro Van when he lost control of the vehicle which crashed and overturned and he sustained fatal injuries. He was taken to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. There were also two other persons along with him, Nasir Vasquez and Johann Valencia received minor injuries and were treated at the hospital.”
Reporter “Did you guys get a statement from the two passengers?”
The 2024 Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge has come to an end and the reigning champs Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb have once again come out on top. The three-man team, competing in the male category, dominated the competition, securing the fastest time on all four days. The race began last Friday at the foot of the Hawkesworth Bridge in San Ignacio, Cayo and ended after a four-day journey at the Belcan Bridge in Belize City on Monday. News Five’s Britney Gordon attended the event to capture the moment the winners crossed the finish line. Here’s the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Day four of the 2024 Belikin La Ruta Maya Belize River Challenge concluded with no less excitement than its previous days. Thousands of Belizeans across the country lined the banks of the winding tributary. They were there to see if team Slim and Trim Like Guava Limb, would once again be victorious, or if they would be overtaken by team Lucas Oil Male. Before the final race, we checked in with team Guava Limb for an update.
Andres Cabb
Andres Cabb, Paddler, Team Slim & Trim Like Guava Limb
“We feel happy and pressured at the same time because we know we have time on the other guys and they will want to go hard to drop us and put the time back. It’s excitement. Yeah. With the help of God, we’re gonna win.”
Also leading in their category was team Lucas Oil Mixed, which was in sixth place overall at the start of day four.
Milenie Cabb
Milenie Cabb, Paddler, Team Lucas Oil Mixed
“I feel good and I thank God that he’s helping us giving us strength and the and help so to keep it up,”
Britney Gordon
“Are you guys prepared for today?”
Milenie Cabb
“Well, yeah, we are getting prepared yet.“
Britney Gordon
“So, confident going into this?”
Milenie Cabb
“Yeah, first God if we don’t flip I know that we can do it out 0:47 again.”
Unfortunately for team Lucas Oil Mixed, their canoe would be the first to overturn at the start of the race near Paradise River Landing in Burrell Boom. The team then spent the entirety of the race making up for the time lost and still managed to finish first in its category overall.
Clayton Cabb
Clayton Cabb, Paddler, Team Lucas Oil Male
“I feel a little bit disappointed because we flip at the beginning, like how I said this morning, if we will first God do good and come first place, if it we does not flip, but we did flip at the start. So we lost time there, and then we stay way behind, but thank God we made it second place here on the fourth day, but overall we have the first place in a mixed category.”
Another woman overcoming adversity in this race was Lily Cruz of the Belize Port Authority team, who was paddling in the Women’s Category. Cruz had suffered an injury to her finger the previous day and was taken to the hospital but was back on the water for the final day. She told us that she was paddling for all women and girls watching her and her team.
Lily Cruz
Lily Cruz, Paddler, Team Belize Port Authority
“We are representing the women empowering each one of us, telling, we are strong, believing we are strong, and knowing our value and the gender equality. I guess we should be the same as in the male because in each race, they see the woman as a little less than the male and there is a little less prize for us than what there is for the male. So I guess we are rowing to say that we need equality and believe there is equality.”
Although the shortest, the final leg of the race had much room for exhilaration as the gap between Team Guava Limb and team Lucas Oil Male became smaller, the closer the two came to the finish line. Tensions rose as the finish line approached and Lucas Oil managed to overtake Guava Limb for a few minutes. The Belcan Bridge was filled with onlookers, craning their necks over the edge to see which team would be the one to finish first as the race was neck and neck. Ultimately, the answer became known and Team Guava Limb was, once again, the champions. This time, with a four-day winning streak.
Javier Guardado
Javier Guardado, Paddler, Team Slim & Trim Like Guava Limb
“First of all, I would like to give thanks to God for giving us the strength and courage and to sponsor Guava Limb and well, I feel proud of myself and of my teammates too. We worked hard and we did it.”
Britney Gordon
“I know at the end there, it almost seemed like you guys were going to be passed at the finish line and you guys fought really hard to get that first place. What was that experience like?”
Javier Guardado
“Well, you know, we give it our all, the bridge was there. We give it our all and we did.”
Britney Gordon
“So you guys satisfied with your overall performance these past four days?”
Javier Guardado
“Yes. We are, we are pretty satisfied. We won the four days.”
Britney Gordon
”And being that you guys came from being in second place in 2022, first place last year and first place again, how are you guys going into the next year for next year’s La Ruta Maya?”
Javier Guardado
“Well, we’ll see what’s happened. You never know what will happen, but hopefully we could get the first place for next year too.”
With a race so close, the team in second place had given it their all, but ultimately, were not able to overcome the setbacks they had encountered on day two, said Clayton Cabb of team Lucas Oil Male.
Clayton Cabb
“I think what really happened was we had a mess up the second day, which will last like the four and a half minutes. That, that I think got us a little bit mentally, right? We tried to work yesterday to cover some of it, but yeah, there’s too many strong teams. They’re like five, six top teams and in high water you can barely do anything because they’ll just tag along and then it’s heavy so you cannot pull out from all those big teams. It’s hard. It’s hard. Nonetheless, we tried. We couldn’t do it, but overall, I’m proud of what we have done and what we have accomplished.”
And although disappointed at the loss, team Lucas Oil Male was very proud of the team’s performance for both male and mixed categories.
Clayton Cabb
“I’m really proud of my mixed team. I am I’m the manager and owner of Ultimate Electrical Solutions. So I’m co sponsored with Westrack. My wife too, that’s our electrical company. So I’m really proud of all our partners. They flip, the mixed team flipped every day. Nonetheless, they’re still, overall, I think they were sixth today, this morning. They might have lost that sixth place, but for you to see that they can flip, come way from behind, still catch up the other mixed team, still catch up. Well, they used to catch up also every day, almost. That speaks with the quality of training that Westrack allows us to have. Without that training, without that support from Westrack, I don’t think that is out possible.”
Police Commissioner Chester Williams has confirmed that two people were murdered earlier this afternoon in a shocking shooting in Belmopan City. The incident happened at the Belmopan Market Day Plaza at around three o’clock.
ComPol Williams confirmed that an adult and a child were fatally shot.
The shooter is in police custody. A picture shows him shackled and sitting on the floor of the police station. Unconfirmed reports indicate that the shooter is Haitian-American. The victims are from the Netherlands. Police are investigating the motive.
Witnesses at the Market Day Plaza following the shooting
A video sent to News Five shows the two children, a girl and a boy, on the ground, bleeding, before they were rushed to the hospital by witnesses.
Reports coming out of Belmopan are that two children were shot earlier this afternoon. The incident happened at the Market Day Plaza. Police remain on the scene.
Witnesses say that a gunman pulled out his firearm and began shooting at a family. Belmopan-based PLUS TV is reporting that the wife attempted to flee, but the gunman pursued her, ultimately shooting her. The gunman then targeted the two children who were with their mother. He chased after them and fired shots at them. It remains uncertain whether the two children survived the attack.
The People’s United Party is also celebrating victory in Belmopan. This is the second consecutive municipal elections in the Capital City that the P.U.P. has secured. Only this time around, the results reveal that the United Democratic Party has made some gains in that municipality when compared to the March 2021 results. PM Briceño was asked if P.U.P. Area Representative Oscar Mira should be concerned about John Saldivar’s candidacy in Belmopan for the 2025 general elections, given the figures.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“Well if that is the case we also in Orange Walk we also lost some ground because the last time we won about eighty-five percent and this time we won by about eighty-three percent. I think that it is much ado about nothing. Belmopan we won convincingly and that is what was important. Also, to make the point that when it comes to Mr. Saldivar, I think that he was probably a part of the reason why the people rejected the UDP candidate here in Belmopan, because he made this a referendum on him. And, he got, now I think he knows exactly what the people of Belmopan think about him, that his days are over and he needs to try and find a job, because the people do not want his kind of leadership. I believe that Mr. Cawich will do an excellent job as mayor. He is not combative. He is humble, hard working and liked by everyone. He will be reaching out to everyone and he immediately demonstrated that when he reached out to the area representative because it was no secret that the area representative was inclined to support another candidate. They put that aside and decided to work, so we saw the results of that partnership.”
One municipality the People’s United Party is not celebrating in is San Ignacio, Santa Elena. In that municipality, the United Democratic Party won most of the seats that were up for grabs, except for one. This afternoon, Mayor Earl Trapp and his councilors were officially sworn in. Leader of the Opposition, Moses “Shyne” Barrow was present, along with Collet Area Representative Patrick Faber and former U.D.P. Mayor, Darrel Bradley. When we asked Prime Minister Briceño about the results, he said that he was disappointed. He believes that the P.U.P.’s area representatives in those towns should spend more time on the ground with their constituents.
Prime Minister John Briceño
“I must admit that I was very disappointed with the results in San Ignacio, Santa Elena because I believe we had a very good team. When you look at somebody like Mathew Preston, very young, dynamic man that had offered himself up for public service, I was disappointed but at the same time it gives us a chance to look in the mirror and see where we are going wrong and what we are doing well and make those corrections. In particular Minister Chebat and Habet can have that opportunity to take a hard look and see what changes they need to do. It is not necessarily about the machinery because they took out the voters but it seems the voters were probably sending them a subtle message that they need to do more work or spend more time in their constituencies. I try to remind ministers at all times your primary job si to be an area representative. Like I always tell everybody, I never forget that I can only be prime minister because the people of Orange Walk central continue to support me. So maybe it is a good message to them, a timely won, better you get the message now and make the changes that.”
