Joseph Anthony Camp who, late last week, claimed that the police had shot his brother-in-law and then denied him medical attention pleaded guilty to Spreading False News today after the police department alleges that Camps’s claim was totally untrue. The thirty-nine-year-old American national was fined six hundred dollars when he appeared in court. He is the brother-in-law of eighteen-year-old Jaylon Jones, who was shot by police on April tenth. That night, Camp went live on Facebook and alleged that Jones was shot by police and was being denied medical access. And while during that post he indicated that he intended to sue the police department for violating Jones’ rights, he appeared today with attorney, Sharon Pitts to face his charge. Camp pleaded guilty and Pitts, in mitigation, pleaded to the court, seeking mercy for Camp, who she said did not waste the court’s time by pleading guilty at the onset, that Camp is a first-time offender with no previous convictions, and that prior to this incident, he was a law-abiding citizen who has donated to a basketball tournament and has assisted with donation to a hospital in Belize. She also argued that the charge for which he was before the court was a misdemeanour. Camp must pay the six-hundred-dollar fine, plus a five-dollar cost of court by June twenty-eighth or he will spend three months imprisonment.
A police officer has been charged and placed on interdiction after he allegedly shoved his wife out of a moving vehicle over the weekend. Arnoldo Ical and Rosa Bol were traveling along the Southern Highway when they got into an altercation. During the heated argument, Ical reportedly shoved his wife out of the vehicle, causing her injuries.
“On Saturday, April thirteenth, Rosa Bo reported that she had a domestic dispute with her husband, Arnaldo Ical. They got into a vehicle at some point along the highway, Arnaldo Ical pushed her out of the vehicle, after he had punched her in the vehicle. An investigation was carried out and Arnaldo Ical has since been arrested and charged for the crimes of harm and threatening words.”
Forty-one-year-old Maynor Ancona is out on bail after being arraigned on five criminal charges. Ancona is accused of causing the death of his partner, forty-six-year-old American National Jennifer Griffith, on Ambergris Caye. As we reported on April sixth, Ancona got into an altercation with another male individual at a bar on the island. During the altercation, Ancona allegedly picked up a conch shell and threw it at the person, but it caught Griffith in the head. That injury later led to her death. As a result, he was charged with manslaughter by negligence, disorderly conduct, two counts of harm and one count of wounding. He appeared before a magistrate in Belize City in the presence of his attorney, Orson “OJ” Elrington. In court, no plea was taken from Ancona for four of the five counts, apart from disorderly conduct for which he pleaded not guilty. There were no objections to bail being granted to Ancona by the Prosecutor who only asked for stringent conditions to be laid as the police investigation is ongoing at this time. With that, the sitting Senior Magistrate offered bail to Ancona in the sum of ten thousand dollars plus one surety of the same or two sureties of five thousand each, which he met. Elrington spoke with us following the arrangement.
Orson Elrington
Orson Elrington, Attorney
“The allegation by the police is that there was a fight and that my client, there were coconut shells thrown and one of the shells hit the deceased and she died after that. My client denies that that is the facts and what happened. But of course, manslaughter by negligence is one of those cases that is not tried summarily. It has to be tried in the Supreme court and so no plea was taken for those charges and a number of charges that the DPP has to determine if those charges will be heard summarily or whether or not they will be heard by the high court. He has been in police custody for two plus days now and when I met with him he is still grieving because he lost his common law wife and he wanted to get out to make the necessary preparations for her funeral or to transport her body. That is his primary concern right now and still in the mourning process. Losing someone is never easy and especially under these circumstances where the authority has charged him for the death, and he feels unfairly so and it is obviously a very tough situation for him.”
Elmer Castro, the individual Ancona got into an altercation with at the bar was also charged for disorderly conduct and two counts of wounding.
The eighteen-year-old who police believe murdered twenty-six-year-old Charles James has been criminally charged. Investigators say that Jaylon Jones fatally shot James on Wednesday night. At that time, chaos erupted after police arrived at the scene, and a shootout ensued between the suspects and officers. As previously reported, Jones was injured in the crossfire, having been shot in the foot. Police claimed that due to the clothes and vicinity Jones was found in, he matched the description of the alleged shooter. Jones’ family protested him being detained, alleging that the police were operating under a case of mistaken identity and that Jones had no involvement in the crime other than being caught in the crossfire. One of those who protested was Joseph Anthony Camp, Jones’ brother-in-law. Camp was charged with spreading false news.
Two men have been sentenced to life behind bars for a 2016 murder. They are Marlon Padilla and Guillermo Duarte. They murdered Edgar Aldana on April second, 2016. The men will now serve life imprisonment with eligibility for parole after twenty-five years. Aldana was chopped to death in Selena Village, Cayo. The murder was because of a misunderstanding.
Belize City resident Richard Bennett is tonight a freeman. He was acquitted of the murders of Cynthia Conorquie and Allen Garcia. They were fatally shot while at Conorquie’s residence on Logwood Street in Belize City in March 2021. Bennett was set free after the judge upheld his attorney’s no-case submission. At the start of the trial, a voir dire was held, and it was ruled that an oral confession was inadmissible due to procedural irregularities. There was no Justice of the Peace present, nor was the proceeding recorded, leading the judge to conclude that it did not qualify as an interview. Despite the Crown’s presentation of eleven witnesses and video footage allegedly showing the shooter, both pieces of evidence were deemed inadmissible. Bennett was represented by attorney Leroy Banner.
A member of the Belize Coast Guard was murdered last night near his home on Consuelo Street in Belize City. Twenty-six-year-old Charles James was shot around eight p.m. in Saint Martin’s area which falls under the state of emergency that was issued last month. When police arrived on the scene, a shootout between police and a suspect ensued. Before we go to that shootout, we first report on the murder. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the story.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Twenty-six-year-old Charles James was murdered in cold blood just a few steps away from his home in the Saint Martin’s area of Belize City. James was a member of the Belize Coast for four years and held the rank of seamen in the force. His death came as a blow to his community, who remembered Charles fondly. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams said that upon arrival, a shootout ensued in pursuit of the assailants, resulting in the injury of seventeen-year-old, Jamal Jones
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Last night around eight p.m., police received information of shots fired on Consuelo Street in the Saint Martin’s De Porres area. Upon arrival, police observed a male person, who was later identified as a member of the Police Coast Guard, suffering from gunshot injuries. He was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police, in responding to the incident, encountered two men who were fleeing the crime scene at the particular moment. They first encountered a police officer who was off duty, in plain clothes. And upon the police officer saying to them, police, they turned the weapon at the police but did not fire. But the police fired at them. Fearing for his life, he did fire at them.”
According to Williams, after investigating, Jones was determined to be one of two suspects involved in the shooting and was subsequently detained.
Chester Williams
“They continued fleeing and little after that, they encountered another police officer who was on duty and was dressed in BDU. And this police officer came face to face with the two alleged gunmen. And they fired shots at the police. The police returned fire and the two men continued to run. I can say the police officer’s uniform had bullet holes from the shooting, but thankfully he was not injured. Moments later, the police got information of a person who was seen bleeding at a particular location, and police responded where they found one Jalen Jones, who was suffering from a gunshot injury to the foot. And seemingly he had already gotten someone to assist him in tying the wound to stop the bleeding. police took custody of Jones and from all indications he was dressed in the same clothing that one of the two alleged gunmen were dressed in. And police also followed the blood trail from where the officers had fired shots at the gunman. And the blood trail led to where he was found. So, we are sure that he was one of those persons who is involved in the murder and was also one of those who shot at the police.”
James was the nephew of the late Winston “Tanga” James, a figure known for his gang affiliations. However, Williams maintained that this incident was not gang-related, and was instead, driven by a dispute over a romantic partner.
Reporter
“Do you believe mister James was targeted because of his family relations or because of the neighborhood he lives in or that he may be perceived? We know in the Peace Cup he may have been perceived to be affiliated with the BLC gang. Is that why he was targeted?”
Chester Williams
“We believe that it has to do with a woman.”
Britney Gordon
“And the mother, in her live, she claims that her son couldn’t have been the one because they are friends. So you believe that this dispute happened between associates?”
Chester Williams
“You know, you wonder, people they get killed and every time the mothers don’t come, they don’t know their son. You wonder who they do it, they must be me and Jules, right? Because, I don’t know, and that is, that is one of our problem. When we have mothers who are condoning, look at how quick this mother last night was in trying to find an excuse for her son. It’s just so sad but, again, who would know best where you are? Your friend, right? So, yeah.”
According to Williams, the murder weapon has still not been located at this time.
Chester Williams
“Yes, we do have overwhelming evidence to support the fact that he was one of the persons who went to the house and shot him.”
Reporter
“But no weapon at this time?”
Chester Williams
“We are going back to the area, we have been made to understand where the weapon had been dropped in the canal and so we’ll be going back to the era with some equipment to see if we can retrieve it.”
At the top of the news we told you about the shootout between police and the suspect in the Charles James murder. That suspect is a minor who was shot by police officers and taken to Racoon Street Police Station. His family rushed to the station, pleading that he be taken to the hospital for emergency care. Today, the family further detailed the incident as they saw it and explain that they are ready to take legal action if necessary. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Jaylon Jones’ mother Sherilee Barrow recounted the night her son was shot. She says that moments before, Jones had been eating food with her before leaving the house. Not long after, she saw her son running through the street but was unable to ask where he was going. After that, things escalated, and Barrow received information that her son had been shot somewhere nearby.
Sherilee Barrow
Sherilee Barrow, Mother of Shooting Victim
“My son mih come in a few minutes ago come eat some macaroni out of the pot with bread. So I tell he noh eat out all of the macaroni and thing. So he come outside, lock the door. My daughter ney come hail me, bring something for me. And they gone, I continue laid down in the bed there. And after that, I hear some gunshot gone off. And when I hear the gunshot gone off, I jump up. I frighten out of the lee doze weh I mi de ina because I always have to worry about my lee bwai ney. Because to me, they da wah target to the police, you know. And I always have to de pon my guards. I deh soh dih pray fi ney lee bwai every night not knowing it would happen close to home. And anyway, my son, I hear somebody come in the yard, so I pop my back blinds. And I pop my black blinds. I hear the person the run gwen soh, so when I look, I see dah my son, I sih halla fi ah, Jaylon, Jaylon, Jaylon but ih noh look back. He mi have on the same clothes he had on from all day, he mi tell me he need fi wash. H e neva had no clean clothes, a white shirt and a black pants da dat he mi have on. Continue run, but I noh tek it like that. So I gone inside gone tend to the baby because I dih do wa lee babysitting for my niece. And after that, when I look one of his friends come and after that I she Cory you noh see Jaylon because I just mishalla fih ah and ih run through the yard yah and ih noh stop. Da weh I did tell Cory and Cory seh miss Sher I just left Jaylon and Jaylon gone up the street. She ih di come back right now, ih gwen fi something. And I tell ah I just left Jaylon di eat some macaroni. He she miss Sher, I noh know, I noh know and he gone and after wa lee while, he come back. Cory come halla fii me and she miss Sherilee, da Jaylon ney shot and Jaylon look like he collapse over in the yard ova deh soh. Police deh round ah and ney no wah move ah. Miss Sherilee come emk ney move your son.That weh he di tell me right.”
Barrow said that she arrived at the scene as quickly as possible and found her son bleeding from a gunshot wound. Jones was taken into police custody shortly after.
Sherilee Barrow
“And I put on my clothes, jump and I got through there and I run through deh soh. And the whole neighborhood, dih rail up because they have inna the yard, and a whole amount of police circled around ah and they don’t want to move ah, right? And so I dih fight through ney, dih referee through ney, like dih bustle through ney, hustling and bustling between me and my daughter, the fight through fi get to he. And after that I halla fi ah and dat da howe he finally hear me. And he she m ma ma ney shot me ma. And after that I said please help my son. Please go to the hospital. Please go to the hospital. Officer seh I wa ker ah right now.That’s what he said. I wa ker ah right now. That’s what he said, And after that I said unu please help me but all ah ney just stand up and watch me. So after that I get weh from ney, and I pop round ney. And after that I gone hold my son in my hand and ask my son who hurt him. My son she ma when that happen, I noh know weh happen.. Ih she everybodt start to run and I end up get shot. I don’t know who shot me. Dah weh he dih tell me. Right? So when that done happen, all the police come and fight he fah me and they pick up and put he in the truck back.”
Barrow explained that she, her daughter and son-in-law followed the police to the station. She claims that upon arrival she was met with opposition from the police. She said that they pleaded for officers to take her son to the hospital for medical attention. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, however, said that would go against protocol.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“As you know, there is a standing protocol that we, um, Do not transport injured persons to the hospital. The police only transport the dead Injured persons are to be transported by the ambulance and so the police officers had took the young man to the Mahogany station Awaiting the ambulance to arrive so the ambulance could have transported him to the hospital For me, I personally would not want for the police to have escorted him For the main fact that he is the same one who had shot at the police Secondly, it was the same police officers that he had shot at who had him in custody. So to avoid any speculations, I would have preferred the ambulance to take him. I saw a live last night where, um, persons were going off and saying that the police had the man in the vehicle to bleed to death. Let me say the man’s injuries were, were, was not life threatening. The bleeding had stopped because they had tied it up with something and, uh, the police were just waiting for the ambulance to come and take him. Seeing that the ambulance took too long, the police eventually took him to the hospital. But again, persons were flustered because they were not allowed to go near the police vehicle. And that could be for the simple fact that when you have a person who is, um, accused of killing another, um, in the same area, you wouldn’t want to have any anybody approach the vehicle that he would be in because what if it would have been associated with the person, person that he had killed who would have want them to come and just kill him in the police vehicle. So police had to make sure that the accused was safe while in their care at that particular moment.”
Barrow maintains that her son was not the type to associate with gang members, nor did he have any conflict with his neighbors. She said that she was unaware that a second person had been detained for the murder and firmly believes her son is not familiar with any of the parties involved.
Britney Gordon
“Was there any conflict that your son was involved at anyone in the area recently?”
Sherilee Barrow
“No ma’am, and if my son be doing anything or involved in anything, I’ll be the first one to know everything cuz he always come confide in me. One thing my kids say, I raised him in a type of way they don’t hide nothing from me ma’am My son don’t have no conflict with nobody or nothing like that”
Brother-in-law of the victim, Joseph Camp stated that the family is prepared to take legal action against the department if necessary. He claims that the department is discriminating against his family members and alleges that both he and his mother-in-law were assaulted and pepper sprayed the night of the incident.
Joseph Camp
Joseph Camp, Brother-in-law of Shooting Victim
“So, we filed a, uh, a professional standards report this morning with the police department. We do intend to hire lawyers to prosecute every legal remedy that you are afforded. I do have my legal team in the United States aware of this, the U. S. Embassy as well, um, and I intend to seek every legal recourse for myself, my in laws, and my brother in law. Uh, reviewing what I spoke with the detectives this morning, they do not have any physical evidence connecting my brother-in-law to the shooting of What they have is speculation and they have a profiling of my brother in law, which I believe is very disturbing and very disgusting.”
With these recent incidents in southside Belize City, Police Commissioner Chester Williams says that the state of emergency needs to be extended for a longer period and expanded to the PIV gang area. He says that officers have been arresting men in that area believed to be gang members since Wednesday night.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “There are gang members who are involved in this matter. The suspects are from the PIV gang area. And you will know that when the SOE began, I had said that even though Martins, was a part of the proclamation we would not go after marathons, but as they were behaving. This has now changed that picture, and so certainly, we will have to deal with those persons from the PIV and they have to form part of the SOE. Again, I am pushing, to see if we can have the SOE extended for the simple fact that we believe that some of these young men have still not really gotten the message, and we need more time to be able to properly investigate those persons who are under the SOE. The one month period would not, would not suffice. So, I’m seeking to see if we can get it extended for another month.”
Police have charged forty-one-year-old Maynor Rene Ancona with the death of his wife, American national Jennifer Lynn Griffith. Ancona was charged with manslaughter by negligence. Police Commissioner Chester Williams confirmed to reporters today that Griffith died after being hit by a conch shell in the head. According to Williams, Ancona reportedly threw the conch shell by mistake during a brawl that took place in San Pedro Town over the weekend. While Ancona has not confessed to accidentally killing his wife, Williams says investigators have enough evidence to substantiate the charge.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police “The pathologist certified that the lady died from a penetration to the head by a projectile. I also think that fragments of the conch shell was also found in her head. And so we can see definitively now that it was a commercial that caused, caused her debt. The question now is who threw the commercial that caused her death. And, we have recorded a number of statements from persons who were involved in the fight as well as other independent witnesses. And from the investigation, it appeared that, we can confirm from the investigation that the person who threw the projectile that caused the death of the American woman is her husband. And so he will be charged today for manslaughter by negligence. He was throwing it indiscriminately and then it caught her and that led to her death. It’s a very sad situation. I know that he must be going through a very, very difficult time now. He lost his wife. And now he has to be charged for it. For sure, he did not intend to, but in law there is a thing that is called transfer of malice.”
Reporter “So, did he admit to that?”
Maynor Rene Ancona
Chester Williams “No, he did not.”
Britney Gordon “Has any security footage been reviewed?”
