The skeletal remains of an individual believed to be forty-six-year-old Glenford Davis were discovered on Sunday in the Rock Stone Pond Community. Davis was last seen by his relatives on December twenty-first, 2023, however, a missing person’s report was only just issued March twelfth. While investigators are yet to confirm the identity of the remains, News Five understands that the items found at the scene have been identified as articles belonging to the missing farmer.
“On March 17th, 2024, police visited a bushy area at Rock Stone Pond, Belize District, where they found human remains. The scene was processed by Scenes of Crime and the remains were retrieved and were taken to the forensic laboratory awaiting a post mortem examination. We had received a missing person’s report and we had focused the search in that area where the remains were found.”
Reporter
“Are you able to say who the person is, who the missing person is?”
Hilberto Romero
“We will await the post mortem results then we will determine if a proper identification can be done.”
Reporter
“Do police believe that this is maybe the opening of a homicide case?”
Hilberto Romero
“We are getting certain information. We have recorded some statements and at the end of the day we will determine if anyone will be charged. Several persons are in custody in regards to this report.”
Reporter
“Are you treating it as a murder?”
Hilberto Romero
“Yes, it is a death investigation and everything is being carried out.”
The son of accused Belmopan murderer, Haitian American, Robert Joseph, is wanted in the United States of America. Twenty-two-year-old David Joseph was seen in surveillance footage dropping off his father at the scene of last week’s murder. Police detained David Joseph for questioning where it was learnt that he is wanted in the U.S. According to police, he has agreed to be extradited.
Reporter
“Has the gentleman’s son been interviewed and can police say whether he has been ruled out?”
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“The gentleman’s son is in the U.S. He was wanted in the U.S. and has been sent back to face charges that he was wanted for out there.”
Paul Lopez
“Was he detained here for questioning in relation to this incident?”
Chester Williams
“He was detained and he agreed to be taken back to the U.S.”
The Belmopan Market Plaza will be hosting a candlelight vigil on Wednesday at seven p.m. in memory of Lauren Fiorito and Megan Klassen. The event will take place on the Paradise Café parking lot.
A police officer has been charged following a shooting incident on Thursday night in Punta Gorda Town. PC Felix Hernandez was with his common-law wife when he got into an altercation with another man who happens to be the ex-partner of his common-law wife. Reports are that Hernandez later observed the individual damaging his vehicle’s windshield. As a result, Hernandez pulled out his license firearm and fired a single shot at the individual that caught him in the stomach. ComPol Williams told us more.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Yes that matter emanated where an ex-boyfriend went and was damaging the vehicle of the girl and the girl is now with the police man, PC Fernandez. When they came, they encountered him breaking the vehicle and as a result there was an altercation between him and the police and the police fired a shot which caught him in the stomach area. Based on that the police has been charged and the police is going to court today.”
Police have charged one of their own for the crime of aggravated assault with a firearm. Thirty-six-year-old police officer Felix Hernandez was charged with shooting Richard Valerio on Thursday, March 14th.
The incident happened at the Punta Gorda sports auditorium. Fernandez told police that he and his common-law wife were attending a basketball game when they were harassed by Richard Valerio, the ex-partner of Fernandez’s wife, who made threatening remarks. Fernandez attempted to avoid confrontation by relocating, but Valerio persisted with profanity.
When Fernandez decided to leave and requested an escort to his vehicle, he discovered Valerio damaging his car with rocks, prompting Fernandez to intervene. After Valerio threw a rock at Fernandez, missing him, Fernandez fired a single shot from his licenced 9mm pistol in Valerio’s direction. Valerio sustained injuries to his lower back and was taken to the Punta Gorda Hospital for treatment.
Police continue to search for Jamie Young, the man investigators say fatally shot thirty-year-old Damion Baptist. According to the official police report, officers were called out to an area near mile nine on the Philip Goldson Highway. At the scene, police found a red Ford Fusion crashed into a lamp post. They also observed bullet holes on the front passenger side.
Scene of crashed red Ford
Baptist was driving the car while twenty-nine-year-old Laneedrah Dawson, Young’s ex-girlfriend, was in the passenger seat. They were travelling from Ladyville Village towards Belize City when Young began following them in his grey Wingle. Between miles eight and nine on the highway, Young overtook them, halted his vehicle, and discharged multiple shots, injuring Baptist. An ambulance passing by rushed Baptist to the KHMH, where he was pronounced dead upon arrival.
Police in Belize City are investigating the shooting murder of twenty-six-year-old Liston Williams. Williams was shot several times on Saturday night in Belize City. Police say that at around 9:50 p.m., Williams was riding his motorcycle on Woodpecker Street when he was approached by the gunman, who fired several shots in his direction. Police are investigating.
On Thursday March fourteenth, sometime around nine fifteen p.m., police received reports of a shooting outside of the Punta Gorda sports auditorium. Officers visited the area and encountered Police Constable Feliz Fernandez attached to the Toledo Formation. PC Fernandez reported that he, along with his common-law wife, went to watch a basketball game. According to Fernandez, they sat on the bleachers and a while later they were harassed by one Richard Valerio who is his common-law’s ex- partner, who was shouting profanities to them, including saying, “somebody will die tonight”. Fernandez went on to say that to avoid a confrontation, they moved to another area. However, they were accosted by Valerio, who continued with his profanities. Fernandez further stated that he decided to leave and asked a fellow officer to escort him to his vehicle. Fernandez claims that Valerio later inflicted damage to his car which was parked outside of the auditorium, by shattering the windshield with rocks. The report further states that PC Fernandez ordered Richard Valerio to drop the rock, that is when Richard Valerio threw a rock in PC Fernandez’s direction but missed. Fernandez then claims that, fearing for his life, he drew his licensed mine millimeter pistol and fired a single shot in Valerio’s direction. Valerio then ran inside the complex area and was then immediately rushed by police to the Punta Gorda Hospital for medical treatment for injuries to his lower back. We spoke with the sister of the victim, who wishes to remain unnamed. She stated that contrary to Fernandez’s account, her brother had not approached or interacted with the officer. According to her, her brother had been the victim of multiple incidents of harassment from the officer and had even been assaulted previously inside his home. Accusations are that the dispute ignited over a shared romantic partner and that her brother had been on the receiving end of injustice for several months now. Commissioner of Police has ordered an internal investigation concurrent with the criminal investigation into this incident. An update will be provided at the end of the investigation. The firearm was retrieved for ballistic testing.
Jared Ranguy pleaded guilty a short while ago to triple murder. Justice Nigel Pilgrim has reserved sentencing until after mitigation pleas are submitted. Ranguy pleaded guilty to the murders of his mother, sister, and stepfather in Ladyville in November of 2012. In court, the relatives of the deceased persons sobbed as Ranguy admitted that he killed the victims without provocation.
His guilty plea came after having gotten a sentence indication, meaning that he decided to plead guilty without going to a trial. News Five will have the full details, including an interview with the family, in our newscast live at 6.
The latest murder victim is a forty-year-old father from Saint Margaret’s Village. Luis Seapas was socializing at a restaurant and bar in the village when he was hacked to death by three men. His attackers are also from the community and known to the deceased. The incident occurred sometime after midnight inside the bar. There is currently no information to suggest that Seapas and his attackers had any prior altercation, in fact they have been seen socializing together in the village. The horrific ordeal unfolded in front of the establishment’s employees, much to their dismay. So, what could have led to the deadly altercation? New’s Five’s Paul Lopez travelled to Saint Margaret’s Village today where we spoke with the family of the deceased and the owner of the establishment. Here is that report.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
A night out at La Rumba Restaurant and Bar in Saint Margaret’s Village ended tragically for one man. Forty-year-old Luis Seapas was socializing at the establishment after midnight on Thursday, when a group of men, armed with a machete, attacked him. We spoke off camera with the owner of the establishment who says that the entire ordeal played out in front of her employees. They ran from the restaurant and bar to her home nearby to seek refuge.
Voice of: Owner of La Rumba Bar
“I start to receive information around two-thirty when they came here to my house running. The girls were frightened and the one that saw the chopping fainted when she came here. The other girls told me that this was happening, three guys came in and chopped the other one and I asked them if he is dead or just injured. They said they chopped him a lot, on his face, but I didn’t want to believe.”
Julissa Najaro, Seapas’ common-law wife, says he arrived home from work on Wednesday evening, ran some errands and thereafter informed her that he was on his way to purchase gas. But Seapas never returned home. He instead went to La Rumba Restaurant and Bar.
Julissa Najaro
Julissa Najaro, Common-Law-Wife
“Well, he came from work like at around five o’clock in the evening. And he was not very calm. He was happy. No, we never thought that that would have happened. And then went to run an errand with my child, he is fifteen-year-old and then he came back. He came off from the motorcycle and said he would buy gasoline. And then, well, it seems like he bought the gasoline and then it seems like he went to the bar in the restaurant upstairs. And well, I found out how at about one-thirty. And then a neighbor came to tell us and my eldest son, his son who is eighteen-years-old, went to go to the bar with the neighbor. His dad had not died yet. It seems that he, I don’t know if it was at around twelve or twelve thirty, I don’t know, but around one thirty he was still alive.”
Seapas reportedly expressed concern when his attackers entered the bar. But they assured him that they were not there to harm him, according to the owner of the establishment.
Voice of: Owner of La Rumba Bar
“These three guys, Mayans come inside and stand in front of the man they chopped and told him don’t be afraid we are your friends, and the other one was standing, and the other one was beside him and the other one was a little bit far and he told him, don’t be afraid of my son, we are your friends, and he hug the man. And when he hugged the man, the other guy takes out his machete and chopped him. And the guy that was chopped ran, but the next guy came behind him and chopped him on his back. And because he couldn’t open the door, they gave him another one, but this time on the neck and that is when the guy fall.”
Seapas leaves behind four children. His common-law wife says he never once informed her that his life was in danger.
Julissa Najaro
“Well, I don’t know, I don’t know because he never told me anything like that. He was always calm. I never imagined what that would happen to him. You hear things about them but never something like what happened. They lived there. Their mother lives there. She lives. Yes, she is her sister, but nothing different like that has ever been seen.”
Fifty-nine-year-old Haitian American Robert Joseph was today arrested and charged with two counts of murder and three counts of attempted murder. Jospeh is accused of killing forty-year-old Laura Fiorito and eight-year-old Megan Klessan with a firearm, while injuring two other minors and firing at a Fiorito’s common-law-husband. Joseph was arraigned today at the Belmopan Magistrates Court unrepresented. He was denied bail, due to the nature of the offense, and remanded to the Belize Central Prison. As we have reported, Joseph and his son visited Paradise Café in the Belmopan Market where they met Fiorito and her common-law wife. He engaged in a brief conversation with them before pulling out a firearm and opening fire. Three primary school children were also with the couple. Joseph turned his focus on the children and fatally injured one. Fiorito’s common-law-husband was the only one who escaped the attack without any physical injuries.
