A case of attempted murder during which Tyrone Scott was robbed and stabbed multiple times in September 2016, is set to begin in April. Elward McKay and Alexander Bainton have been charged with dangerous harm and robbery stemming from the incident over seven years ago. But when the duo appeared in the High Court earlier today when the trial was initial scheduled to commence, Bainton decided to challenge the Crown to prove its charge against him. The matter is being dealt with by Justice Candace Nanton. While McKay pleaded guilty, his alleged accomplice instead challenged the Crown Counsel, resulting in an adjournment to April fifteenth, 2024. In the case of McKay, Justice Nanton reoffered bail in the sum of six thousand dollars, plus one surety of the same amount.
Category: Crime
Police to Charge Biscayne Father with Murder of Levan Aldana
Police have arrested and charged a man from Biscayne Village with the murder of Belize City resident, Levan Aldana Junior. Twenty-eight-year-old Arthur Hill, a construction worker, is the man who police believe stabbed Aldana to death on Wednesday night as they walked from Hill’s jobsite to a residence where their two girlfriends live. Today, head of the Eastern Division, A.C.P Hilberto Romero told the media that they received a call about the stabbing, found Aldana suffering from the stab wounds and took him to the K.H.M.H., where he died that night. News Five’s Marion Ali reports.
Marion Ali, Reporting
Tonight, two sisters in Biscayne Village have children whose fathers have been taken away by crime. One is the girlfriend of the deceased, nineteen-year-old Levan Aldana Jr. and the other is the girlfriend of the accused, twenty-eight-year-old Arthur Hill. Both live in the same house and that was where Hill and Aldana were drinking on Wednesday night before they left the residence. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Hilberto Romero told reporters today that it is the same information that the police have gathered.
A.C.P Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“Investigation revealed that Levan Aldana left a house in Biscayne along with one Arthur Hill and shortly thereafter, Levan Aldana returned with the injuries. The information we have got is that these two persons have an altercation from way back and every time they see each other and are consuming alcoholic beverages, they get into fights.”
A while after the men left the residence, they arrived at Hill’s job site, a ranch situated a few hundred yards away on the Philip Goldson Highway. His boss, who spoke with the media off camera, said it was apparent that the men were drinking but they weren’t arguing when they went there.
Voice of: Arthur Hill’s Employer
“They never made a argue. The only thing they made a talk about that apparently two of them made a have, two of them made a mad at them. Because he didn’t tell dih, young boy that, if he didn’t get the trip for him. And the young boy didn’t tell him if he didn’t get the trip for him, because he didn’t want to give her no money. That would be the conversation they would have.”
The two sister’s mother, Delvorine Dominguez said that the incident was not spurred from any dispute involving her daughters.
Delvorine Dominguez, Mother-in-law of the accused & the deceased
“I just nuh want nobody to blame my daughter and say my daughter set it up because my daughter not set it up because right now, my daughter is very traumatized. And they got it on Facebook, the rumors go wrong. They spread that my daughter set it up, my daughter would have never ever set up nobody for kill Levan.”
Both the accused and the deceased have children with their respective girlfriends in Biscayne Village. Marion Ali for News Five.
High Court Hands Down a Life Sentence for Marlon Everett
A life sentence has been handed down by Justice Candance Nanton in a murder case involving thirty-three-year-old Marlon Everett. He was convicted of murder in the shooting death of Albert Johnson which occurred in April 2018. In imposing the life sentence, Everett was informed that he will not be eligible for parole until he has served twenty-eight years in prison. Johnson was shot and killed while he was walking ahead of two other persons on Regent Street. According to the main witness, Everett was walking approximately six feet behind Johnson when he, the Crown’s witness, pushed his hand inside his pants, produced a firearm and handed it to Everett who crept up behind Johnson and fired two shots, fatally injuring him. Despite the murder being captured on surveillance footage, the identity of the shooter was not clear. A police officer was also called as a witness who testified to being able to identify the gunman as Everett, after recognizing him from the footage. Everett’s sentence takes effect retroactively, from April twenty-first, 2018.
Is Collin Francis Fit to Stand Trial for Murder?
A competency hearing to determine whether Collin Francis Junior is eligible to stand trial for the murder of Nestor Vasquez Junior continued today before Justice Nigel Pilgrim. The High Court judge called on Virgilio Murillo, the Chief Executive Officer of the Kolbe Foundation, to testify on the conditions of the Belize Central Prison should Francis be deemed unfit to stand trial. Assurances must be given that Francis will be kept in a safe environment and that the C.E.O. must be able to determine where that safe space is. On November twenty-fifth, 2019, Collin Francis Junior was arraigned for the murder of sixty-year-old Nestor Vasquez Junior who was beaten to death inside a holding cell at the Queen Street Police Station. That incident happened on June sixth, 2019 when Vasquez and Francis, both diagnosed with mental illness, were placed inside a cell while in police custody. Vasquez was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital but succumbed to his injuries two days later.
Kenrick Gill is Shot Near Hunters Lane
Belize City resident Kenrick Gill narrowly escaped grave injury when he was fired upon by an unknown assailant on Thursday night. He was riding his bicycle in the vicinity of Hunters Lane when someone emerged on the scene and let loose a hail of bullets in his direction. Gill was injured in the shooting, but his wounds were not life threatening. He was treated and released from the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. According to the Regional Commander of Eastern Division, investigators are following several leads.
HILBERTO ROMERO
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“On Thursday, January 18th, 2024, police responded to a shooting incident at Hunters Lane in Belize City. Upon their arrival, they found Kenrick Gill with gunshot injuries to the shoulder. Kenrick Gill reported that he was riding a bicycle when he was approached by a male person who fired several shots towards his direction, causing his injury. He was taken to the KHMH where he was treated and has since been released. We are seeking one suspect in regards to this shooting.”
Reporter
“Sir, was this a gang-related shooting?”
Hilbero Romero
“No, we do not consider it a gang-related shooting. We are following up on several leads.”
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Shooting in Ladyville Leaves One Woman Injured
There was a shooting in Ladyville over the weekend and the victim is a thirty-one-year-old woman. Anna Haylock was inside her home on Yellowtail Street when someone began firing several gunshots at her residence. When the shooting subsided, she realized that she had been injured.
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“On Sunday, January twenty-first, police responded to a shooting incident at Yellowtail Street in Ladyville Village where they met Anna Haylock, thirty-one years old, with gunshot injuries. Anna Haylock reported that she was inside her house when she heard several loud bangs and then realized that she had been shot. She was taken to the KHMH where she is in a stable condition at this time. We are seeking one suspect in regards to this shooting.”
Reporter
“No motives?”
Hilberto Romero
“No motive at this time. She was at home when she was targeted.”
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Home Invasion on York Street; Thieves Make Off with Cash and Jewelry
A home invasion on York Street here in Belize City has resulted in a pair of thieves making off with an undisclosed sum of money, as well as jewelry and a cell phone. Derone Locario told investigators on Friday night that he was at home when two armed men barged inside, held him up and ransacked the property.
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“Derone Locario, forty years old Belizean of York Street reported that he was at home when two persons armed with firearms entered his house. They proceeded to hold him up and then they searched the house and stole an amount of cash, jewelry and a cell phone. The two male persons then fled from the area on bicycles. We are seeking two suspects in regards to this report.”
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Scrubbie and Elan White Charged for Robbery
Two Belize City men stand accused of robbing a businessman of his firearm on Friday morning. Twenty-four-year-old Edward Saldano and twenty-one-year-old Elan White, a maintenance worker of Ladyville, were charged jointly for robbery after they allegedly held up Dennis Morey and stole a Smith and Wesson brand revolver from him. The duo appeared unrepresented in the lower courts earlier today where they pleaded not guilty to the charge. On January nineteenth, sixty-four-year-old Dennis Morey visited Precinct One where he reported to police that sometime after 8:30 that morning he was approached by a pair of men riding on separate bicycles. According to the villager from San Juan, one of the men placed a gun at his head while his accomplice proceeded to relieve him of the revolver. This afternoon, Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero spoke on the incident.
HILBERTO ROMERO
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
“On Friday, January 19th, 2024, Dennis Morey reported that he was on Plues Street conducting business when he was approached by two male persons armed with firearms. The persons then proceeded to hold him up and they stole from him one .38 revolver and then made good their escape. Aa investigation was carried out and we have since arrested and charged Edward Saldano and Elan White for the crime of robbery.”
Britney Gordon
“Was that the only thing stolen from the [businessman]?”
Hilberto Romero
“That was the only item stolen.”
Saldano and White were denied bail and remanded to the Belize Central Prison until April 22nd, 2024.
Ivan Ayuso’s Case Adjourned
The case of a former employee of the Belize Sports Council was today adjourned before High Court Judge, Nigel Pilgrim. During the virtual session this morning, attorney Darrell Bradley, argued over the classification of charges that were brought against the defendant, Ivan Ayuso. The question of whether theft or money laundering was the right charge brought against Ayuso, based on the use of the monies after being stolen, became an argument that will be decided upon at a later date. Both the defense and the prosecution, led by the Director of Public Prosecutions, Cheryl-Lyn Vidal, have differing views on whether theft or money laundering ought to be the charge that Ayuso should be facing. Ayuso, a senior accounts clerk at the National Sports Council, is accused of theft of one point zero nine million dollars during the time that he was there in the years preceding 2016. The charges followed revelations brought out in an audit report of the Sport Council’s finances, a former attorney for Ayuso had said publicly following the charges that Ayuso was responsible for preparing checks, for which he was not authorized to sign. In January of 2021, Ayuso was granted bail in the sum of three hundred thousand dollars. Ayuso was ordered to return to court on January thirty-first, when a decision will be made on the charges for which he faces trial. Ivan Ayuso was also charged back in 2002 with arson in connection with the fire that destroyed the Paslow Building. He was acquitted of the charge.
Mahogany Heights Resident Busted for Drug Trafficking
A resident of Mahogany Heights is indebted to the court for four thousand, five hundred dollars after being charged for drug trafficking. Twenty-year-old Emmanuel Thompson pleaded guilty to possession of a controlled drug with intent to supply when he appeared unrepresented before the magistrate’s court earlier today. On Saturday, Thompson was caught red-handed in possession of two hundred and thirty four grams of cannabis following a pursuit by police officers. During the chase, he was seen disposing a bag containing two parcels of weed. In court this morning, Thompson was fined and given until August thirty-first to clear the debt or, in default, serve eighteen months at the Belize Central Prison.
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