A Ladyville resident, accused of causing the death of a young man in a tragic traffic incident, will face trial for manslaughter by negligence. He is fifty-three-year-old Manuel Ramos. He stands accused of killing twenty-two-year-old Joshua Martinez on March twenty-first 2023. Ramos faced multiple charges, including causing death by careless conduct, driving without due care and attention, driving with an alcohol concentration above the legal limit, and causing injuries to Tyreec Junior Usher. Following the preliminary inquiry, the court committed Ramos to stand trial at the High Court’s June 2024 session. The fatal accident occurred between miles eight and nine on the Phillip Goldson Highway. PC David Griffith was also injured in the incident. After the commitment to stand trial, Ramos had his bail revoked, but he was granted a new bail set at five thousand dollars along with two sureties of two thousand five hundred dollars each, which he was able to fulfill.
Category: Crime
Police Pursuing Molina Shooting Suspect
Police in Belize City are investigating a shooting that left twenty-eight-year-old Christian Molina injured. It happened on Sunday night on Crown Street, and according to the police, Molina was socialising outside when someone he thought was his friend shot him. A.C.P. Hilberto Romero told reporters today that the suspect is being sought.
A.C.P Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“On Sunday, the thirty-first of March, nine thirty-seven p.m., police responded to a shooting incident on Cronk Street, Belize City. Upon arrival, we saw Christian Molina with gunshot injuries. He was taken to the KHMH for treatment, where he is now there listed in a stable condition. Christian reported that he was at a yard in the area when he was approached by a male person who followed a firearm and fired a shot towards his direction, he ran off and was shot, but is now stable. We are seeking one suspect in regards to this shooting.”
Reporter
“Any motive?”
Hilberto Romero
“No motive at this time. He said that he knows the person, so we are looking for this person.”
Reporter
“And does he have a has he had confrontations with the person before?”
Hilberto Romero
“Not that we know of, no.”
Southside Resident Alleges Police Brutality Under SOE
A Ceaser Ridge resident visited our studio today to make a complaint against the Belize Police Department following the enactment of State of Emergency in Belize City. The resident, Ashley Flowers, says she opened her door at around 6 a.m. on Tuesday after hearing police officers out front. Flowers says she was unaware that a State of Emergency had been declared so she questioned the intentions of the officers and sought to cooperate with them. She alleges that two officers physically assaulted her, pulled a gun at her boyfriend who was taking a shower, and then left without detaining anyone or finding anything illegal. Here is what she told us.
Voice of: Ashley Flowers, Belize City Resident
“While I had them entering into the home I told them morning and I asked them what are they looking for and if I could help them. No reply, just one lady answer and ask you and who live here. Just my son, my boyfriend and my granddad. But, I could really know what the go on and how I could help. So, she ask, who dah your bway, weh your bway name? So I said he is in the bathroom taking a shower, but I just want know what is going on, no answer. That is when one of the officers started to kick in and stomp in the door and they managed to open it. My boyfriend just gets to pull up his pants, not even had boxers on or anything like that. While they kick open the door deh shout hands up, put up your hand. That is when I pull out my phone, because I was cooperating with the officers. But they got me to the next point where I was being disrespectful and using obscenity and I was asking the officer why would you point the gun into his face. When he noticed the person in the bathroom wasn’t who he was looking for he went from there and started walking in my direction. I started to back up because he was in my face. I didn’t know it was a state of emergency until he started choking me and said if I don’t know what is a state of emergency. After he choked me he stone me between a stove and some tools my dad had and he stamped me to the side and punch me to the face. I still have swelling to the side of my head and the scratches and bruises on the side of my stomach.”
Flowers told News Five that she sought medical attention for her injuries and is currently on painkillers. She also alleges that a female police officer squeezed her shoulder with force and only let go when she informed them that she suffers from a heart condition. Flowers added that her rights were violated, and she hopes that she gets her day in court.
Police Declares State of Emergency in Southside Belize City, Roaring Creek
A State of Emergency is now in effect in southside Belize City and Hattieville, as well as specific areas in the Cayo District such as Roaring Creek Village, Another World Area, Camalote Village, and Young Bank Area. This SOE comes after a violent weekend last week, when gun-related crimes increased at an alarming rate. Three persons were murdered in less than two days, with other shootings taking place in Belize City. The SOE will remain in place for one month. Statutory Instrument number fifty-eight gives the police the power to enter any premises, stop and search any vessel, vehicle, or individual, and seize anything found that they believe was intended to disrupt public safety and order without a warrant. We spoke with Commissioner of Police Chester Williams for an update on the situation.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“At this present moment, the police and the B.D.F. are on operations within, not just the Antelope area, but practically the entire south side Belize city. As you would be aware by now, a state of emergency was declared this morning covering the almost entire south side of Belize city and the Hattieville and another world area of Roaring Creek village, as well as Young Bank area of Camalote village. And so, we also have police and BDF operating in Roaring Creek and Camalote, picking up those persons who we believe are part and parcels of the flair up of gun violence in the Belmopan area. Here in Belize City, you know that we have had a slate of shootings, two of which were fatal and we have I believe about two other persons who are currently admitted in the hospital in a critical condition. Those were shot on Sunday in the Jane Usher Boulevard area and so due to the flare up of gun violence in the city as well as in the Roaring Creek and the Camelote area the state of emergency was declared, and we are now going after those persons we believe are part and parcel of those flair ups. Well, the truth is we have seen a long lull Belize City. Again, I always said it takes one idiot to pull a trigger and that could cause a flare up. And these flare ups are going to happen occasionally, and we have to be able to have the right approach in dealing with it. As I have said to the minister when we discussed the SOE that it had reached a stage where if we don’t do something, then the cancer is going to spread further and then the other gangs are going to feel like, oh, over there it’s flaring up and nothing’s been done to them, so better we have our own thing to. So we have to ensure that we do something that is measurable and that is going to bring some calm.”
Police Says State of Emergency Is A Necessary Course Of Action
The State of Emergency may be extended from time to time by a resolution passed by the National Assembly for further periods. As we mentioned, the SOE is a response to the recent flare-up in gang activity, which sparked concerns about public safety. Like in previous SOEs, residents in the targeted area say that this violates their human rights. Police Commissioner Chester Williams said that it is necessary for ensuring the good of the wider public.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I have never heard the government being critical of it. I’ve heard that the SOE must use as a measure of last resort. I don’t think that any reasonable Belizean would ever say that the government and the police is not doing enough. We have an entire LIU program which is geared towards helping young people to help those young men who are caught up to see how they can come out of living that lifestyle. We are doing interventions. They are given employment opportunity. So the truth is that the government and the police is trying but again, we all know that there are going to be those persons who will not want to live a peaceful life and may continue to live that violent lifestyle. And so the SOE is geared at going after those persons. The amount of persons we expect to be detained from the SOE is not a huge number. It’s going to be a small number of persons because we just want to be able to pluck out the bad seeds and allow those other persons who are part of the LIU program and are productive to continue to do so.”
Britney Gordon
“Some people feel that SOEs are a violation of human rights. How does the police respond to this?”
Chester Williams
“Which rights is more important? The rights of fifty persons who hold the country, the city hostage? Or the rights of fifty people? Over one hundred forty thousand in a city or the rights of four hundred forty thousand people. We have to strike a balance and I’m sure that some human rights activists are going to agree that as a part of human rights, we have to look at the greater picture to see if we’re going to allow these people whose right we believe should be protected to continue to extinct themselves. I think that if we allow the extinction to continue, then we will be in breach of human rights norms because we are seeing a trend and we just allow it to continue. The fact that we step in and do the SOE, so get them to have a pause and to rethink, I think goes in line with maintaining human rights norms.”
Compol Says SOE Does Not Mean Defeat
With the implementation of the State of Emergency, comes several criticisms. The Belize Police Department now must resort to delegating a large portion of its manpower and resources to monitor hotspots and known gang members. Today, Police Commissioner Chester Williams was asked if this latest move was an admission of defeat by the department. Here is how he answered:
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“To say a failure of the police, what does the police have to deal with? The police have to deal with the failure of society. You’re brothers, you’re children, your uncles, those persons who choose to live a violent lifestyle, da noh the police raised them. They’re raised in their respective homes and they turn out to be what many families do not desire them to have become, but that’s how they become. And so the police have to end up dealing with those persons. And yes, the country is huge. We all have a certain number of police officers. We can’t tag police to every criminal to make sure that we babysit them, that they don’t go and commit crime. So, to want to see that because we have the flare ups, it’s because of failure of police. I think that the police have been doing fairly well in making sure that we, we police the entire country in the most peaceful way that we can and try to make people feel comfortable. Yes, sometimes we fall short of that, but I’ve always said that the society have a role to play and we have working with us, the multi sectoral approach to fighting crime under the LIU. And we are seeing where other sectors of society are playing a role. But if the propensity or the mindset in the homes are not changed, then we’re always going to have this problem. When we have parents who are condoning what their children is doing, it is going to create problems. And already we are seeing where parents are calling, my son not this, my son not that, when in fact they know they pikni ney shoot gun. Right, but the minute the child is dealt with by the police, the parents want to come forward and swear for their children, we have to be real.”
Murder Of Ras Bobo Weighs Heavily In Community
We also asked Police Commissioner Chester Williams for an update on last Friday’s murder of Elwin “Ras Bobo” Lewis. Lewis was shot dead while driving a motorcycle in front of Gwen Lizarraga High School in Belize City. His murder shocked and saddened community members, as he was often regarded as a success story as a reformed gang member. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams said that his presence will be missed in the Leadership Intervention Unit.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“I have sat in many interventions with Bobo and he has always been one of the positive ones. I’m trying to see how best he can help to quell the issues in the George Street area. Certainly, yes, his presence working with the LIU is going to be missed. We know that he did had issues with a particular group. And again, it’s a whole George Street fraction, as you would know that there’s a division in the George Street fraction and there was a group that was against him. But Bobo have always maintained his cool. And despite knowing that division and that and he mostly was there, he still felt comfortable moving in the area where the other factions were, hoping that the fact that he has been an elder, that he would be respected. But I guess what he had hoped for did not work out well for him.”
Reporter
”How close is the department in bringing charges against these alleged killers?”
Chester Williams
“We are working on that. We have a number of video footage that we are viewing. We have very good clues. It’s just a matter of us trying to put the pieces together. I will try to arrange for the investigators to see the DPP with the video footage and see if she’ll be able to provide some guidance to the police in terms of how we can proceed with the video footage that we currently have.”
Police Speculate Motive In Nigel Williams Murder
Police investigation into the shooting murder of thirty-year-old Nigel Williams continues. Williams was executed on Friday night while he was driving his vehicle on Saint Thomas Street. It is believed that his killer waited for the right moment to pounce. Since the incident, twenty-three-year-old Tyreke Supas has been arrested for the crime of murder. Today, we asked the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, if a motive has been established.
Britney Gordon
“In regards to the murder of Nigel Williams, I know that someone has already been arrested, Tyreke Sopas. Has a motive yet been established?”
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We believe that it’s a retaliation for the I think shooting death of one of the guy young, that took place a couple months ago.”
Britney Gordon
“So Mister Nigel Williams was gang affiliated?”
Chester Williams
“Yes, he was affiliated with one of the gangs on South Side Valley City.”
Police Determined To Find Dylan Anthony’s Killer
Friends, family, and colleagues are still grieving the loss of twenty-nine-year-old Dylan Anthony, a police constable from Camalote Village, who was shot and killed on Saturday. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams said that while this case is close to home for the department, their priority is still to bring justice for the victim and his family.
Britney Gordon
“And what about Mister Dylan Anthony? Has there been any updates on his murder?”
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“At this time, no.”
Reporter
“Did you meet with Mister Anthony’s family this weekend and what was that like in terms of trying to assure them that the department will get to the bottom of his murder?“
Chester Williams
“Certainly the death of Anthony is extremely tough for us. Anthony works at headquarters. Beside my office and I used to see him every day. A very big, humble, respectable young man. As a matter of fact, I always joked with him when I passed him and he always have that good sense of humor and that big smile on his face. I certainly will miss his presence and I want to assure his family that we will do all we can to find those persons who are responsible for his demise. I don’t want to hear that it’s a case of mistaken identity. The fact is that they killed someone and as much as yes we, it bothers us that it’s a police, but who the person is that they killed shouldn’t have to do with it. We currently have the suspects in custody. We believe we have. The two gun men in custody and they are currently being interviewed by the CIB in Belmopan, a major crime. And we are hoping that we should be able to make some significant progress by the end of the day today, where that murder is concerned.”
Police Officer Shot Dead in Roaring Creek Village
Three persons were shot and killed over the weekend including a reformed Belize City gang member and a police officer. The increase in shootings in Belize City in particular has authorities considering to implement a State of Emergency. We know that several measures have been put in place since the increase of gun violence over the weekend. Aside from the SOE, one of the measures include monitoring key gang figures in southside Belize City. We start of tonight’s newscast with the murder of the police officer from Camalote Village that sent shockwaves through his community and the Belize Police Department. Twenty-nine-year-old Police Constable Dylan Anthony was on his way home when he was ambushed by a gunman on the Roaring Creek Bridge. Described as a humble giant, Anthony comes from a family of police officers. He is known to have been committed to his job and family. So, why would anyone target him? Was it a case of mistaken identity? News Five’s Paul Lopez travelled west today and has the following report:
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Twenty-nine-year-old Police Constable Dylan Anthony was shot and killed on Saturday night in Roaring Creek while heading home. Anthony travelled to Belmopan on his motorcycle to withdraw some cash from an ATM. On his way back to Camalote, at the approach of the Roaring Creek Bridge, a gunman opened fire in his direction. We spoke with his partner, Denise Gonzalez.
Denise Gonzalez, Common-Law Wife of Deceased
“I called him the morning and he never answer. From morning ih the mess with a bike weh ih jus buy. But i know before the day done ih mih wah call.”
But Gonzalez never received the call that she was expecting from her partner and the father of her five-year-old son. Instead, the call she received was one that no partner wants to hear.
Denise Gonzalez
“When they call me after nine, dah fih tell me that deh done shot up ah, deh done shot up ah. I said no, nuh Dylan. Who would ah want to shoot him up like that? He nuh bother a fly, a soul, he dah one of the sweetest persons I ever know.”
We also heard from PC Anthony’s father, Herbert Anthony, who gave twenty-eight years of his life to the Belize Police Department. In fact, Herbert inspired Anthony and two of his other children to join the force. As a former cop, Herbert was one of his son’s main career advisors.
Herbert Anthony, Father of Deceased
“I give him great encouragement to join. The man does seh, dad I want be just like you. I told him go for it son. He was a very humble guy, cool, nuh interfere with people. When I use to talk foolish things he said dad why nuh stop talk fool. The man seh, dad that nuh wah mek yo big, stop yo fool. The man gone for it and joined the job. The man seh dah I love the job, but the lee transfer, when deh transfer me to Corozal I really wanted to go in the unit weh you deh. I tell ah bway sometimes you have to tek weh yo get because sometimes people bad mind yo eena yo job and send you to places you feel like you can’t handle.”
Credible information to News Five is that Anthony’s murder was a case of mistaken identity. His helmet fully covered his face as he rode his motorcycle. It is believed that his body structure is similar to that of the individual that the gunman intended to target. PC Anthony was a bodybuilder. He spent a great deal of time inside the Camalote Community Centre’s gym alongside his body-building mentor, Dean Lewis.
Dean Lewis, Friend of Deceased
“Dylan, I saw him grow up from baby. As he progressed, went to high school and everything, he came out to the community center a lot. I saw that body built for body building so when he got older i spoke to him and said listen up do you want to try work out at the gym an do something. He said no problem let me see what i can do. Automatically he liked it, fell iin love with it and he has been going for a while. Dylan was one of the young men that you could look at him and know that he was going to be a productive young man in the area. It is sad that he is gone, because then who takes up his slack?”
The Belize Police Department issued a press release following Anthony’s murder, noting that he served with honour and distinction in his duties to protect and serve the community. The release further stated that the department is working diligently to investigate this senseless act of violence and bring those responsible to justice.
Denise Gonalez
“Still eena shock, still eena shock. The family, we cant take it, we cant take it. Now my baby leff with no daddy. He and his son mih suh close. Nuh wah day guh by without he call my baby.”
Herbert Anthony
“My son, I am not taking up, everybody knows he nuh interfere with people. He into any sport like barbell lifting. Everybody knows he is not a bad person cuz.”
Reporting for News Five I am Paul Lopez.