Tonight, two men are on remand at the Belize Central Prison following the murder of twenty-four-year-old Luis Marin, which occurred on April eighth, 2025. They are nineteen-year-old Scorian Stuart and twenty-three-year-old Michael Gillet, who were escorted before a magistrate in court this morning, where they were jointly read the single charge of murder for Marin’s death. Reports are that Marin had been socializing with a family member at a home in Pinks Alley when gunmen entered the home and fired in his direction. Police strongly believe his murder to be tied to the Belmopan shooting incident, which led to the injury of Jamal Hyde. Both men appeared unrepresented and were told that due to the nature of the offense, they could not be granted bail. Stuart and Gillett were remanded to the Belize Central Prison until their next court hearing on June ninth, 2025. Reports are that about an hour before his death, a close family friend of Marin’s sent one last text message asking him to be safe.
Category: Crime
Five People Charged for Cruelty to Animals After Viral Video
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Nobody said yesterday that the penalty was a hundred dollars. Mr. Lopez asked that question and an answer was given, but the public seems have taken it to mean that we were saying that the penalty for the offense is only a hundred dollars, but no, under the law, the offense of the offense of cruelty to animal carries a imprisonment term of six months. And there is no provision there for a fine. Yes, we know that applying the legal principles that even though a fine is not there, the magistrate at trial if found guilty can still impose a fine or they can go at a custodial sentence depending on how they see the evidence and the different submissions that the different parties may make at that particular juncture. In addition to that, they’re also being charged with abatement to commit cruelty to animal. And under the law section twenty of the criminal code, it states that we are a person that abets to commit a crime if that person is found guilty and the crime, that the abate to commit actually occurred, then the penalty shall be just as if would be similar to the crime that they had abated to commit. So in this case, the abatement is going to carry another, um, six months imprisonment. And then we have cattle theft. Cattle theft is a more serious offense that carries the penalty up to. I think of the three, three to five years imprisonment. is something that is really outrageous. It’s of shock, the public sense, and the public conscience. And, I think that we must give it great priority again, as has been said by the Humane Society and even the ordinary Belizeean and who witness what happened. They’re saying that we need to do something that is going to send a strong signal. We have many animals out here that are owned by people and we must always ensure that we care for these animals and we show empathy towards them”
Malnourished Pets Falls Under Health & Other Agencies
Today, five youths accused of severely injuring a horse appeared in court. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams led the prosecution and objected to bail, citing the widespread nature of the crime. Despite this, the Magistrate granted bail at two thousand, five hundred dollars each. Williams informed reporters that the youths will face three charges. He also noted that agencies responsible for animal welfare, health, and protection will address issues like malnutrition, which has been a major concern among citizens regarding pet care.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“The Police have charged those individuals with three counts, one count of cruelty to an animal, one count of abetment to commit cruelty to an animal, and one count of cattle theft.”
Reporter
“Based on this case, I think people were pointing out from way before the fact that a lot of youth are roaming around the city with these horses that look malnourished. Is that something that authorities would look into, including the police, because you’re the ones who bring the charges and I know that the care of animals factor under the Cruelty to Animals Act.”
Chester Williams
“That is not going to be something the police will be able to look at. It will fall more within the domain of health authorities, perhaps maybe even BAHA and I know that they do have a humane society that operates within Belize. I think they can pull their resources together and see what can be done to address those issues. I know for a fact that while we do have these young people who may move around the city on these horses, I think for the most part they, they do show a great degree of love towards these animals. So perhaps it can just be that they don’t have the means to properly care for them. And I think when we experience those circumstances, then the wider society should see what they can do to assist these young men in caring for the horses. Again, I think that if they have a pet – I would still refer to a horse as a pet – if it is that you can show care and empathy towards an animal, that also assists you in terms of your upbringing.”
ComPol Confirms Luis Marin was a Suspect in Belmopan Shooting
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has confirmed that twenty-four-year-old Luis Marin, who was murdered on Tuesday night, was a suspect in a weekend shooting in Belmopan. On Saturday, a video showing three men running from a car while shots were fired at them went viral on social media. In that attack, twenty-three-year-old Jamal Hyde was injured by gunfire. Less than a week later, Marin was found dead in his home in Belize City. Today, Commissioner Williams confirmed Marin’s involvement in the shooting and announced that police have a suspect in custody for his murder.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
”We are looking at that issue in Belmopan in the aftermath of that shooting, there was a lot that we did to try and avert any possible retaliation, particularly in the Belmopan, Cotton Tree and Roaring Creek area. Unfortunately we see where it happened, the retaliation took place in Belize City in an area where we did not anticipate it to have occurred. Nonetheless, the police remain extremely vigilan. And in these areas of concern, we always do our best to try and avert these things from occurring, but sometimes the retaliations would happen outside of where the police would’ve normally expected it to occur. So, I’m happy to say that the police have made great strides in the murder investigation now, where the guy was killed, that’s Luis Marine was killed in the Majestic Alley area. The suspect for that matter is in custody and he should be charged today and should be appearing in court sometime this afternoon.”
Reporter
“And so it is retaliation? That’s the belief?”
Chester Williams
“Yes, we certainly believe that it has to do with the shooting in Belmopan and it’s a retaliation in respect of that shooting.”
Reporter
“Some people commented that the gunman found the guy before police. You guys wanted him but no wanted poster was put out.”
Chester Williams
“The police had been in search for him, certainly, and his name was circulated internally, um, that he was wanted by the police. And again, we could not have put out a wanted poster because the circumstances under which the incident occurred. When he were to be found, we would have to do an identification period. And so once we’re going to have to do identification period in a matter, it is not legally practicable for us to circulate, wanted poster of that person because at trial, the attorneys can say that the only reason the witness identified the person was because the person picture was in a wanted post prior to them conducting identification parole. So again, it’s a legal safeguard that is in place to protect, protect the rights of accused persons. So we could not have done that. And again, you, you would know, that the public, is the one who normally provides the police information. There are more people out there in society who are not police officers than police, so the public will know more than us, and that’s the reason why we always emphasize that ninety-nine point nine percent of police work is based on information received from the public. And we always welcome those informations,”
Chester Defends Taking Alleged Cyberbully to Court
Commissioner of Police Chester Williams is standing by his choice to take cyberbullies to court. Last week, a police officer found himself in court for allegedly bullying his own boss online. Fifty-one-year-old Barrington Gilbert Mai, also known as Barry Flowers, was charged with using a computer system to publish obscene and vulgar data. Mai paid a bail of five thousand dollars, with one surety of the same amount or two sureties of two thousand, five hundred dollars and is due back in court in June. Some criticize William’s decision to take the officer to court, believing it to be an overreaction. However, Williams, who recently took his brother to court for cyberbullying, says he has every right to do so.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“That is the view a view of those persons and I respect their view. I must say that as an individual, people say things about me on social media every day and, I don’t care. At the end of the day, I am a public figure and I am subject to be criticized. But when you are going to call me corrupt, I will not countenance it. I have worked in this department for over thirty-three years and I have done my utmost in my integrity. And so if a person were to say that I am corrupted, I’m a thief. I’m this or I’m that, I’m going to have them prove that to the court, bring the evidence before the court and prove that I am such I am not like the ordinary public who can go and back and forth, somebody on social media, I can’t do that. The nature of my office does not require me to do that. It is going to be unprofessional, and so I have to find other ways to defend my character, and so I defend my character using the code system. The law was put in place to protect against cyber bullying. And if it is that there are people out there who do not wish to make use of the law, that is their business. The law is there for all of us to use, and if anybody believe that they are being cyber bullied by another they have the same right as I do in going to the police making a complaint and take the matter before the court so that the person who is bullying you or whatever can go to court and say, to defend their position. And I, that is all I have to say on that matter.”
Oney in Recovery After Brutal Attack by Teenagers
Today has been upsetting for animal lovers and concerned Belizeans. A shocking video surfaced on Facebook, showing three teenagers brutally attacking a horse named Oney. The video, which has gone viral, depicts the boys senselessly chopping the horse while it was tied to a tree, trying desperately to escape. News Five confirmed that this horrific incident happened near the Faber’s Road extension here in Belize City. Oney belongs to a sixteen-year-old boy who used to be friends with the attackers. He claims they stole his horse and tried to extort him for its return. The Belize Police Department, along with the Belize Agricultural Health Authority, and several animal activist groups, have stepped in. Oney is now recovering, but his future remains uncertain. News Five’s Paul Lopez has more on this distressing story.
A shocking video showing three young men brutally attacking a horse with a machete has sparked national outrage. The perpetrators, aged sixteen, seventeen, and nineteen, and residents of Pitter Street in Belize City, have been identified and detained by police. Following the video’s viral spread on social media, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams took to Facebook to strongly condemn the act. He emphasized that the Belize Police Department is taking the matter very seriously and will do everything in its power to bring those responsible to justice. We spoke with ComPol Williams for more details.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I can tell you we are looking at the possibility of charges for cruelty to animal and we will seek further advice from the DPP to see if there is any further charges that can levied against those individuals. We need to send a strong signal. We are seeing that this type of occurrence is becoming more prevalent where animals are being treated inhumanely in such a cruel way. My thing is if these young men could have done to the horse, imagine what they could have done to a human being.”
The poor horse, named Oney, was left with severe injuries to its head and back. Today, a video surfaced showing that the injuries had worsened overnight, putting Oney’s life at serious risk. Reimers Feed Mill later posted on Facebook, offering to help with the necessary products for Oney’s recovery. We spoke with Rodrigo Blanco, the Marketing Manager at Reimers Feed Mill, to learn more about their efforts.
“To be honest when we saw the video we reacted the way everyone is doing, with such disgust, very disappointed that it is actually some young men performing such disgusted thing. For us as a company that really strives on animal care, that is something that we really don’t tolerate those kinds of things there. Our first reaction was to see how we could render assistance. I know the public was trying to get assistance for themselves but we just wanted to ensure that companies can come together and help with this situation.”
By late morning, the Belize Agricultural Health Authority had already stepped in to treat Oney. Dr. Jonathon Pech, the Deputy Technical Director of Animal Health at BAHA, reached out to Reimers Feed Mill and accepted their generous offer. BAHA also received support from the Animal Medical Centre. We caught up with Dr. Pech in Belize City as he was wrapping up hours of treatment on the horse for the day.
Dr. Jonathon Pech, Deputy Technical Director, BAHA
“As I arrived I saw a horrific scene that the animal had some chop wounds and they were very devastating. I have been practicing in Belize for almost twelve years now. IN all that time I believe this is some of the worst injuries I have seen. I have seen some chop wounds but nothing like this. I saw there was a slah on the right shoulder and above the right eye and it had some minor injuries as well on the legs.”
Paul Lopez
“And what was its state this morning, in terms of those injuries?”
Dr. Jonathon Pech
“It was full of worms, highly infested.”
Dr. Jonathon Pech
“I am certain that it is going to pull through, as long as the treatment is given then the probability is high of the horse going back to being normal.”
“You have guided to the owner.”
Dr. Jonathon Pech
“I have instructed, but the person says he will get someone that knows more about horses to come and administer medications.”
The horse’s owner is sixteen-year-old Devonte Broaster. With his father’s consent, we spoke with Devonte, who shared that he bought Oney two months ago from a group of young men in Belize City who were mistreating the animal.
Devonte Broaster, Horse Owner
“Deh thief my horse so they took it round suh and hide and tell me that they don’t have it. They chop up him.”
Paul Lopez
“When you see that video what did that do to you?”
“That hurt me, like I feel it in me. I feel it for him. I don’t know what is going on with deh bally. This dah the first horse I ever get, the first horse, I love ah. The way how I get dah video, the own people deh weh chop up the horse send me the video and I just send it to the police deh. Deh the try tek me real light, deh the talk bout I need to give them a bike and money to get back my horse.”
Paul Lopez
“You have any issues with them?”
“No, I use to hang with deh bally. I don’t know what is going on with them.”
Paul Lopez
“What you plan to do with Oney after this?”
“I plan to bring ah back and send him to village for some time and then I will ride him, but I just wah lef ah deh mek ih get back.”
Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez
Animal Activist Voices Outrage Over Animal Abuse
The Society for the Promotion of Animal Rescue and Kindness, based in Belize City, is outraged by the brutal attack on the horse seen in the viral video. They’ve noticed a troubling increase in animal abuse reports in the Old Capital and have been fighting against this cruelty for a while. This latest incident has them questioning the state of our society.
Michelle Rudon, President, SPARK
“It started from last week with the other situation with the little brown horse. This is something very heartbreaking for us, because we have been fighting it for so long. We have been fighting trying to bring about change and help for these animals. Seeing that video is something I will never get out of my head. WE should not have come to this. Something should have been done before to help these animals. You are barely getting over that one and then there is three four more cases, like what is happening to our society, where are we headed? What is brining about these horrific cases of abuse.”
Georgia Luis, Volunteer, SPARK
“When I initially saw the horse, the first one, the little brown horse, I was in shock and I could not believe that us as humans could experience this kind of behavior and as Michelle said, three more animals after that and the one yesterday with the cutting of the animal is just the worst and it ahs to be at some point stop somewhere and just with the media a lot of people are coming out and that is what we need.”
The Law Says $100 Fine for Animal Abuse
Halima Santos, the financial officer at SPARK, questioned the effectiveness of the current animal abuse laws. She pointed out that the fine for the horrific abuse seen in the video is only a measly one hundred dollars.
Halima Santos, Financial Advisor, SPARK
“There is a law in place for animal cruelty that talks about animal cruelty and abuse, it is not being used or even put into action, but I think it needs to because at this moment it is not just the horses being abused, it is animals, dogs and animals across the board. We need to go back to the table and make revision of these laws to include imprisonment, especially those who are often doing this sort of cruelty to animals. We want to spread awareness that there is a law for animals being abused. We want to spread awareness to help a voiceless animal who is in dire need. I would like to add on the support of the police department, because yes it is just an animal to them, but they too need help, they too are being abused. We don’t want that when we call the police department they don’t move because it is not a person. It is not an huma being, but it is an act of a crime. So we need the support of the police department to act on these kind of things and give assurance because yes you have done a crime and something will come out of it and another case comes up another day and put aside.”
ComPol Wants Stiffer Penalties for Animal Abuse
We spoke with Commissioner of Police Chester Williams about the hundred-dollar fine, which is the maximum penalty for animal abuse. We also addressed the criticism that the police don’t take animal abuse reports seriously. Here’s what he had to say.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Unfortunately it is a misdemeanor so it does not carry a stiff penalty so these are things we have to look at to see how we can transform the law. The laws we have in place for these kinds of acts are antiquated. They have been in place post independence. Times have changed so there is a need to look at those laws to see how we can strengthen it to serve as a deterrent to those who may wish to continue those types of activities.”
Paul Lopez
“My understanding is that the fine is somewhere around one hundred dollars. Is that your understanding?”
Chester Williams
“Somewhere around there yes.”
Paul Lopez
“The criticism is that whenever police is called to reports of animals abuse where horses are concerned, and animal abuse in general, they don’t take these reports seriously.”
Chester Williams
“The thing is we try to do as best as we can. There are instances where we require the support of the owners and we don’t get that support. While the penalties for the offense, which is cruelty to animals, may carry a small fine, we are also looking abatement to commit cruelty to animal. The abetment will take the penalty more severe. So we are hoping to go that route to send a stronger signal to those young men and to others who may have in mind to carry out such acts.”
Duane Wite Charged for Daylight Murder of Coby Ledlon
