Crime - Channel 5 Belize

Land Dispute on Rio Bravo Crescent Turns Deadly

A land dispute in the Faber’s Road Extension area has left one man dead. On Sunday night, a single gunshot was fired in the direction of Stephen Jorgenson during a quarrel he was having with a relative over a piece of land he was occupying on Rio Bravo Crescent. His alleged killer, identified as Bernard Talbert, is on the lam and police are looking for him in Belize District. This morning, the Belize Police Department issued a wanted poster for information on Talbert’s whereabouts. He is also considered armed and dangerous. Here is more from Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“On Sunday, March third, around 8:45 p.m., police responded to a shooting incident at Rio Bravo Crescent whereupon arrival they saw Stephen Jorgenson with a gunshot injury. Paramedics arrived at the location and thereafter he was taken to the KHMH where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Investigation revealed that Stephen Jorgenson was at home when Bernard Talbert arrived there and they had a dispute over land. Bernard Talbert produced a firearm and fired one shot causing the fatal injury. We are presently looking for him. He is wanted for the crime of murder.”

Reporter

“Was he holding the family hostage, sir? That’s what we heard.”

Hilberto Romero

“No. He came there and they had a dispute and he pointed the firearm at the other family members who were at the house at the time.”

Reporter

“There are allegations that he may have made threats to the family sometime aback. Are you aware?”

Hilberto Romero

“Yes, they had issues over the land where the murder happened and so he came back with a firearm and shot the deceased.”

Reporter

“Any idea where the suspect might have fled?”

Hilberto Romero

“We are looking for him at this time. We believe he is in the rural area. Yes, we believe he is armed and dangerous. He is in possession of a firearm.

Reporter

“Is it a licensed firearm?”

Hilberto Romero

“We have not traced that it is a licensed firearm.

Reporter

“Is he the owner of a licensed firearm?

Hilberto Romero

“No, he is not.”

Anke Doehm Convicted of Cruelty to a Child

Sixty-three-year-old American national, Anke Doehm, was convicted of cruelty to a child and remanded to prison until her sentencing on Thursday, March 14. High Court Judge Derick Sylvester remanded Doehm based on the unanimous guilty verdict returned by a nine-member jury. The court found that Doehm willfully neglected her adopted daughter thirteen-year-old Fay Lin Cannon, between January first, 2017 and July third, 2017, in San Pedro Town. Despite Doehm’s claims of innocence, the Director of Public Prosecution Cheryl Lynn Vidal argued that Fay Lin suffered neglect and malnutrition, ultimately leading to her death. During the trial, the D.P.P. presented several pieces of evidence, including testimony from Cannon’s sister and medical reports, alleging that Doehm failed to provide proper care for her daughter, leading to her death from chest compression injuries. Doehm’s attorney, Adolph Lucas Senior, argued that it was Doehm’s husband who was responsible for Fay Lin’s death. He said that Fay Lin was entrusted to David Doehm who committed suicide months later. Lucas told the jury that his client left Fay Lin in David’s care after she was diagnosed with cancer. The jury did not buy it and unanimously found Doehm responsible for Fay Lin’s untimely death.

Woman Attacks Common-Law Husband with a Knife, Detained

A woman who attacked her husband with a knife on Saturday morning was detained by police following the incident, but it is not certain if any charges will be brought against her. That is because the virtual complainant has indicated that he does not want any charges to be brought against the woman The incident happened in the family yard through Rhaburn’s Alley in Belize City and it reportedly erupted after the man accused her of having an affair with someone else, and then slapped the breakfast that she had just served him off the table. Enraged by his accusation and behaviour, the woman walked out of the yard, but returned, reportedly armed with a knife and attacked him. The two then had a scuffle, during which the man was injured superficially. Within a minute a family member intervened and disarmed the woman of the knife. Today News Five visited the residence where the victim said that they have worked out their problems and that he does not want any court action against his common-law-wife.

San Ignacio Policeman Sexually Assaults Colleague at Work

A police officer of San Ignacio has been arrested and charged for sexually assaulting a female colleague inside the San Ignacio Police Station. The incident which was captured on surveillance camera happened on Valentine’s Day, February fourteenth. A forty-year-old woman who was on duty at the precinct reported that Durman Dawson, an officer whom she has known for the past nine years, groped her. When she reacted by smacking him, while attempting to free herself, Dawson then physically assaulted her. It’s a repulsive video, one that Commissioner of Police Chester Williams has also reacted to.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“I found that video to be extremely disgusting and troubling and right away, upon seeing it, I gave directives that the police corporal be arrested and charged and interdicted from duty. And my exact words were this, I am going to tell you, I’m just going to remove the profanities, that we are in an organization where men believe that this is a man’s job. We have gone beyond that now, this is no longer a man’s job, it is a job for both men and women and as male or as men in this organization, we must respect our women counterparts. We cannot be in an environment where the women believe that they have no say or that they have no rights and that the male can just trample over them. So long as I sit as Commissioner of Police, I am not going to allow or entertain any such behavior on the part of any male police officers and it was on that premise that I instructed what needs to be done. Again, it shows that the cameras inside the station are extremely helpful to us because like you have there with you the footage from the police station. It shows exactly what transpired and we were able to act decisively, based on that.”

Bus Drivers Clash in Mahogany Heights, One is Charged

An altercation between competing bus drivers in Mahogany Heights has resulted in a conviction of damage to property and a fine being levied on twenty-two-year-old Jeshron Flowers. This afternoon, Flowers, originally from Burrell Boom Village, appeared before the lower courts where he was arraigned on two offenses, including common assault. It is alleged that on Tuesday, Flowers damaged a glass window on a bus belonging to Jeromie Samuels. According to Flowers, when he was passing by Samuels’ bus, the driver accelerated the engine as if to run him over and that’s when Flowers threw a bottle at the vehicle. In court, Flowers wasted no time and admitted to the offense. For his guilty plea, he was imposed two non-custodial sentences. For damage to property, he was fine five hundred dollars and for common assault, he was fined six hundred dollars. Those fines are due by April thirtieth and May thirty-first, respectively, or in default he will spend three months in prison.

Anke Doehm Returns to Court 7 Years Later

The sensational case of thirteen-year-old Fay Lin Cannon who died under questionable circumstances in the care of an American couple living in San Pedro made headlines in 2017. Sixty-three-year-old Anke Doehm was jointly charged along with her husband David Doehm in the wake of the child’s death. Her husband took his own life a few years later and today, Anke Doehm appeared before newly-appointed High Court Judge Derrick Sylvester and a jury of nine persons. The allegations against her is that she willfully neglected Cannon in a manner that was likely to cause injury to her health. Both sides presented oral submissions before the bench, beginning with the Director of Public Prosecutions who addressed the jurors by first showing them three gruesome images showing Cannon’s severely bruised body. The D.P.P. also presented an image that showed an emaciated thirteen-year-old girl who Doehm claims was never neglected. The D.P.P. concluded that Fay Lin Cannon’s death was not an accident. On the other hand, Doehm’s attorney, Adolph Lucas Senior, urged the jury not to believe the allegations made by the D.P.P. and asked jurors to acquit his client because the Crown failed to prove the charge of cruelty to a child. The case against Anke Doehm will be summed up on March fourth.

Alleged Scammer’s Rampage Dates Back to 2020 in Costa Rica

Last night, we told you about a tourist who is in police custody after allegedly scamming a high-end resort of twenty-seven thousand dollars in services. As we reported, a man who is identified as forty-year-old American national Nicolas Paula spent nine days at It’zana Resort and left the resort without settling his debt. He was detained in San Pedro on Tuesday. Well, News Five has learned that allegations against this individual surfaced from as far back as June 2020 in Costa Rica. A vacation home rental company in Costa Rica shared on social media that the same individual, who at the time was being identified as Christopher Marchena, was using pictures and videos of their homes to scam people. The report alleges that Marchena was deceiving people by offering them very low prices and asking for advance payments. That was almost four years ago and today he has found himself in a great deal of trouble far from home. Further allegations are that he scammed multiple business establishments in Belize. We continue to follow.

Brandon Gillett will go to Trial for Firearm Offenses

Thirty-eight-year-old Brandon Gillett, a court bailiff, appeared before the Chief Magistrate for a second time earlier today. As we’ve reported, he was arrested and charged in December 2023 for firearms offenses. This morning, when Gillett appeared in court, he requested a sentencing indication. He was informed that, by law under a section of the Firearms Act, the minimum sentence is five years. However, the Chief Magistrate, using her discretion as it relates to first-time offenders, can impose a lesser prison time for someone with no previous convictions. In Gillett’s case, she could sentence him to one year. Upon hearing that, Gillett told the court that he is prepared to go to trial and, with that, his case was further adjourned April thirtieth. At that time, Gillett is expected to be provided with disclosure in the matter and a new date for trial will be agreed upon. A search of Gillett’s residence in Los Lagos on December twenty-first, 2023, turned up a Springfield .223 rifle which was altered, as well as a nine millimeter pistol. He was charged with five counts of altering a firearm. He remains out on bail since December twenty-ninth after he was able to pay the ten thousand dollar sum.

Trio Accused of Murder Rejects Partial Disclosure

Three alleged suspects, accused of the grave yard murder of eighteen-year-old Gabriel Tillett, appeared in court today to receive disclosure, however, they rejected the partial disclosure that the court was offering them. They are twenty-eight-year-old Samuel Trapp, twenty-three-year-old Robert Lamb and twenty-six-year-old Kevin Lanza.

The trio appeared before the Chief Magistrate this morning where they were provided with partial disclosure in the amount of seventy-three pages. Lamb expressed his disappointment with the partial disclosure and told the court that it is unfair for the prosecution to provide them with only part of the evidence despite the fact that the period for disclosure had already expired. Lamb, Trapp and Lanza said that they will wait for full disclosure in the matter. Tillett was found dead inside the Lord’s Ridge Cemetery on July fourth, 2023. He had been lying face up with multiple injuries to the face.

Brazilian National Escapes from Police in Orange Walk

Convicted prisoner Jonathan Felipe Lima, a Brazilian national, has escaped from police custody in Orange Walk. Lima, who was detained on an immigration offense, escaped from the detention cell at the Orange Walk Police Station this morning. Police say he was last seen wearing a grey long-sleeve jacket, black pants and white tennis. Anyone who has seen this escapee is asked to contact the Orange Walk Police Station.