A psychiatric evaluation has been ordered for thirty-three-year-old Aban Grant; the man accused of stabbing sixty-seven-year-old retired U.S. Army soldier Griffith Cadle to death. As we reported, Grant allegedly stabbed Cadle on Saint Joseph Street near its intersection with Nurse Seay Street, while both men were socializing on the night of June thirteenth. Police later discovered the murder weapon inside a drain not too far from where the incident occurred. And, based on information received, they found the suspect, Aban Grant, hiding inside a building on Baymen Avenue. Authorities also found the clothing he was wearing at the time of the incident. Today, he was arraigned on one count of manslaughter. But it was not until his charge was read that the magistrate found out that Grant’s mental state was a topic of discussion. Grant’s sister told the court that he was never known to be a mental patient until after he went to prison where she claims he was diagnosed with a mental disorder. His cousin, who was also present in court, has been taken twice before to see a doctor. However, the sitting magistrate noted that there were no official documents to say what is the mental state of Grant. So, a psychiatric evaluation was ordered. The magistrate explained that for the court to get an evaluation on Grant, he must be remanded to the Belize Central Prison for a psychosis analysis from a doctor. The evaluation usually takes about six to eight weeks. Grant was unrepresented in court.
Category: Crime
Motive Unknown for Police Station Shooting in Roaring Creek
A police station was shot up in Roaring Creek Village on Sunday morning. Around twelve thirty a.m. three police officers were forced to take cover after a spray of bullets was fired at the station. Up to eighteen shells were recovered from the scene, however, no officers were seriously injured. The suspect made off before he could be captured. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero told us that police are seeking several suspects and are investigating a possible motive.
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“On Sunday, the twenty-third of June, 2024, around twelve thirty a report was received whereby a male person, arrived at the street in front of the Roaring Creek police station and fired several shots towards the station. There are several holes in the building as well as the damaged glass window. investigation revealed three officers were at the station at the time. They heard the loud bangs and they took cover. Thereafter, when they came out, the suspect had already fled from the area. The scene was processed where several expended shells were from. We are seeking several suspects in regard to this shooting. We have not established a clear motive. The matter is on investigation. There were three officers there, so I cannot say if any specific officer was targeted. The person came from the street and fire the shots towards the station.”
ComPol Chester Williams, “It is extremely disturbing.”
The incident in Roaring Creek is likely the first time that a police station has come under attack. While three men have been taken into custody, investigators are yet to bring charges against any of them. On Sunday, an officer who was outside of the precinct came under fire when someone started shooting in his direction. The exterior walls of the concrete building are dotted with pockmarks. Fortunately, no one was injured during the shooting. Earlier today, Commissioner of Police Chester Williams further discussed what happened.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“The incident at the Roaring Creek Police Station, from what I was made to understand, is that a police officer was sitting outside of the station, in the compound and heard gunshots coming in his direction. He ran and went into the police station to seek shelter and the police station was shot up. Police recovered a number of expended shells from the scene and three persons have been detained, but we don’t have anything concrete on those three persons who are detained. We are still doing some interviews with the police officer in question because we want to make sure that it’s not something that is personal to him because that is another possibility we are looking at. And then, we are reviewing surveillance footage in the area to see if anything would have been picked up by those cameras in the area. So, there is a lot that we are doing in terms of investigation to try and get to the bottom of that because we have to find that person who did that.
Isani Cayetano
“It’s rare that I’ve heard of a police station coming under gunfire. Don’t you find that disturbing, at the very least?”
Chester Williams
“It is extremely disturbing. How could I not. Police officers are out there working their butts off and here comes what you may want to call the person and shoot up at the police station. We must condemn it, as a society, in the strongest terms. And as a police department we will do what we can to find out who is the person responsible and he must be brought to justice.”
Double Shooting Interrupts Bicycle Ride
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.
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“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.”
Man Charged for Robbery and Gun Possession after Evading Murder Charges
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.
A.C.P. Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“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.”
Stanley Moore Shot Dead, ComPol Williams says They Know Who the Murderer Is
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.
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.”
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.”
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.
Shooting in Belize City Leaves One Dead
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.
Gillett remains in a critical condition.
Man Shot Dead on Secret Beach, Ambergris Caye
The Secret Beach on Ambergris Caye is known as a laid-back tourism getaway several miles from San Pedro Town. But on Thursday night, the high-end entertainment hub was the scene of a fatal shooting. Forty-six-year-old Steven Arceo, who lives and works on the beach, was shot and killed inside a property on Thursday night. The complainant told police that Arceo had entered the property through a window and was shot dead. But family and friends of the deceased say that while Arceo had a troubled past, he had tried to reform his life and was really someone who could be trusted in the area. News Five’s Marion Ali went to Secret Beach to find out what transpired. Here’s that report.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Forty-six-year-old Steven Arceo was shot and killed on Thursday night, as he reportedly entered this house through one of its windows. The incident happened sometime around nine p.m., in the Secret Beach area of Ambergris Caye. Police say that twenty-seven-year-old Alexi Chavarria and his family were asleep when he heard noises inside his house and discovered an intruder entering the house through a kitchen window. Chavarria told police that he shot the man with his licensed nine-millimeter pistol. But family and friends of the deceased are at a loss as to why he was there because he was considered a trustworthy individual after he had reformed his life.
Evan Hynes, Friend of Steven Arceo
“Eena life everybody goh through dehn differences, but the man dah wa very nice man. If you get to know him, I know him over, I wudda she 15 years. And Stephen, now a well-known person, especially back at Secret Beach. We call him the president of Secret Beach cause when you think about Secret Beach, you think about Steven.”
Marion Ali
“He’s been back here for how long?”
“I’d say at least 10 years.”
Marion Ali
“He’s been back here, what working, living?”
“He does a little hustling; he sells a little coconut. I wudda put my head on the block that Steven back ya wudda more protect back than bruk in. Or if somebody du bruk in anywhere back he wudda stop dehn like wa security back ya.”
Today, Arceo’s fellow coconut water vendors in the area paid respect to his memory with his name on their sign boards. His aunt, Suzana Arceo told News Five that her nephew’s killing reopens an old wound, one that she never got justice for.
Suzana Arceo, Aunt of Deceased
“He was a good guy at Secret beach. Everybody knows him as Coco Steven, because he sells his coconut right now, we went through his things. We find where he has his tread license. He finds everything is a lot. He has his lot everything that he was doing to sell his coconut there and everybody knows that he goes there and sell his coconut.”
Marion Ali
“What do you believe happened?”
“What I believe really happened, I think that guy that shoot him have an issue with him. I don’t know the guy, but that’s what I really believe. Because if, even though if Steven went to thief, give him a warning shot. Shoot in the air, shoot his foot, but not his head and the way he shoot my nephew. No, man, this open a wound to me, 10 years ago, I lost a son on gun violence and nothing, no justice, nothing was made. And I think the same thing is gonna go for Steven. There’s no justice.”
Arceo says there’s little that the police could tell her today other than the matter is under investigation. Evan Hynes says if the incident had not happened, Arceo would have been his usual self, making them laugh today.
“He mi wa deh right there and here who are the conversation apart from that man Secret Beach last one Good person very good person like I said, I don’t know what actually went on but I know the guy Very good guy. Good hearted guy.”
Police are investigating the incident. Marion Ali for News Five.
Three More Men are Charged for Gang Involvement
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.
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.
Police Inspector to Stand Trial for Abusing Detainee
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.