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Missing OW Teen Found Dead in Rhaburn Ridge

Joshua Ku enjoyed socializing with his friends in Orange Walk Town. The nineteen-year-old lived with his sibling and grandfather and worked at a bakery along with his mother. The mother and son would often talk and spend time with each other at work and Saturday was no different. But when it was later discovered that Ku did not make it home after a night of partying at a popular nightclub, his family grew concerned about his safety. That concern quickly became a fear that something bad had happened to Josh. This afternoon, that fear became a reality. News Five’s Isani Cayetano was in Orange Walk Town earlier today and followed the story to its tragic end. Here’s that report.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A mother’s worst fear was realized earlier today with the discovery of a male body, later identified as that of nineteen-year-old Joshua Ku, in a remote area of Rhaburn Ridge. The shocking encounter by loved ones who set out in search of the Orange Walk resident this morning, brought to an end a desperate attempt at finding Ku alive. The last time Nadia Ku saw her son was on Saturday evening while she was leaving work at La Popular Bakery.

Nadia Ku, Mother of Deceased

“I came out from work like. I was going up the hill, going home, when I saw him fly past with his friends and he took out his head from the window and he shouted. “Ma!” I smiled at him and waved. From then I haven’t seen him, [or] heard from him. All I know is that he went to Hi 5 with close friends and he come out of Hi 5 with other people that he’s not acquainted with.”

It is believed that Josh exited the establishment in the company of his ex-girlfriend’s brother. According to his mother, that individual was never fond of her son.

Nadia Ku

The guy that took Josh, honestly, he doesn’t even like my son, so I don’t know why he pressured Josh to go with him or maybe just for the ride to bring him home. Everyone told me Josh left Hi 5 about three or four [o’clock] that morning, but Josh never made it home. So Sunday, which was yesterday, like nine or before nine [o’clock] in the night, my other son called me and he said, “Mom, Josh hasn’t reached home as yet.”

Immediately, a missing person’s report was filed at the Orange Walk Police Station and the family set out in search of Joshua. This morning, Jose Witzil, a close friend of the family, joined the search party along with his son.

Jose Witzil, Family Friend

“This morning, my son called me and he told me the news, so he came down. Now, presently, as I am speaking, he is out there looking for him. It was a surprise to me. It’s still a shock to me to know that we can’t find his body, we can’t find him. Each time the minute, the hour goes by, we get more desperate because time is being consumed. Even the sun right now is hitting and we don’t know where he is.”

By one o’clock this afternoon, when the police department convened its weekly presser, Assistant Commissioner Hilberto Romero was able to provide additional details, albeit grim.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“Information received was that Josh Ku was along with some male persons at a nightclub in Orange Walk and he got into a car around 3:20 a.m. on the said Sunday, February eleventh. An investigation was carried out and searches were conducted and this afternoon, his body was found at an area near Rhaburn Ridge with stab wound injuries. The scene is being processed at this time.”

According to Ku’s family, he was lured into the company of several persons who later killed him and disposed of his body. While investigators say that they are yet to ascertain a motive, Josh’s mom explained to us that his former brother-in-law did not like him after Josh separated with his sister.

Nadia Ku

”His friends went to do a missing report last night, I went as well and we stayed there like an hour. I went out to find him, came home like 3:30 in the morning and Josh was nowhere to be found. The police called me like four o‘clock and he said that the guy Josh was with went to the station, gave up himself and he told them everything that he did to Josh.”

Isani Cayetano

“Nadia, you mentioned earlier that the individual who reportedly left with Josh from Hi 5 did not like him. Can you explain that, is it someone that they both knew each other but they weren‘t friends or they didn‘t have a liking for each other.”

Nadia Ku

“Well Josh dated his little sister, like two years ago and I guess ever since then he did not like Josh and I don‘t know because Josh said, “Mom, he doesn‘t like me.” He said, “You see him, he doesn‘t like me.” I don‘t know him physically, I haven‘t seen him, have never seen him, but Josh and everyone knows that he doesn’t like my son.”

Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Elderly Woman Dragged to Court and “Roughed Up” Over Land Dispute

Sixty-one-year-old Gertrude Hunter was taken to court this morning where she was arraigned on four criminal offenses, including damage to property, two counts of aggravated assault upon two police officers and one count of trespassing. The charges arose from an incident in January during which Hunter was involved in a land dispute. It is alleged that Hunter entered the property of Pauline McFadzean on Cemetery Road. In court, earlier today the elderly woman appeared unrepresented where she pleaded not guilty to all four charges. Hunter was offered bail in the sum of one thousand dollars, plus one surety of the same amount. After meeting bail, Hunter tearfully recounted her experience at the hands of the Belize Police Department and described an ordeal that began in 2015 and only got worse following the passing of her common-law husband in 2020. Hunter maintains that she is the rightful owner of the property in question and that it was given to her in a will left behind by her deceased husband.

Minister Hyde Weighs In On Maya Land Rights Situation

The Ministry of Indigenous People’s Affairs was in Big Falls Village over the weekend to consult with residents on the Draft Maya Land Tenure Policy. A release from the ministry states that the consultation exercise was a success. The release noted that villagers gave valuable insights and perspectives. The community is viewed as one where most residents are against customary land rights. So, there was not much resistance to be expected. But, what does the minister responsible for lands think about the ongoing tensions in the Toledo District? He was asked if potential first time land owners that reside outside of Maya communities stand to lose as a result of these new policies and if he thinks these Maya villages have lost trust in the government.

Cordel Hyde, Minister of Natural Resources

“You are right we are in the business of politics and people will say things and you cant be thin skin in this. You have to be motivated and challenged by criticism and try to do better all the time. I don’t know that is the position of the minister. I think she has done a lot of heavy lifting since she got in. She is met with these communities over a long period of time, almost every weekend they are down there trying to engage with the communities and reach some kind of consensus as to the way forward. Just know that this issue has been with us for ears and years. it is a vexing and difficult issue and everybody won’t be happy. She has a string and needle and it will be hard. The only way to get that done is by talking and discussing with each other, and give and take and try to compromise and see eye to eye. Ultimately it is about Belize. We are one nation, one people and we are trying to make sure we have agreement and that we move forward as one nation and people. We are going to have bumps along the way, challenges and we are going to disagree. But it is about sitting down and working through our disagreements. The Africans say we talk until we agree and I believe that. We have been talking. I have been down there with here. I have seen her talk. I have seen her engage. So, I know that she is putting her best foot forward. I know her team is working hard and other arms of government try to provide support so that ultimately in the shortest time possible we can reach to some agreement that everybody can live it. This is a draft policy we are looking at. This is in the infancy stages. We have some ways to go. This is not going to be tabled in the House next week, next month. There is a lot of work that the government has to put in until we are comfortable to say you know what, we have something that can work, that the Mayans can agree to and ultimately we emerge from this as a better nation as a more unified nation as difficult as that might seem right now. I believe we can get that done. There is no problem in this country where there is not a solution.”

News Five’s Dives Deep in Latest Children Act Amendment

A study done by UNICEF and the Statistical Institute of Belize five years ago revealed that only twenty-four percent of Belize’s children have the support of their fathers as they grow up. The study shows that a mother’s presence is not guaranteed as well, with only sixty-eight percent caring for their children in their first year of life. Established in 1998, the Families and Children Act provides a legal framework for advancing the rights of children, with their best interest as its main priority. From its inception, a man has been required to maintain the children of any of his children, under certain circumstances. That portion of the act is not as commonly known as the part that mandates a man to maintain his own children. But, it became the center of a heated debate inside the Senate on Thursday. The questions everyone now asking are, should grandparents be required, by law, to maintain their grandchildren in the absence of the biological parents, or should this section of the act be repealed and replaced? News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

On Thursday, members of the Senate debated a controversial amendment to the Families and Children Act.

Michael Peyrefitte, Lead U.D.P. Senator

“The biological father or the biological parents of a child under no circumstance should be relieved of the responsibility of maintaining their children and putting it on the shoulders of someone else.”

The legislative amendment was encouraged by a High Court ruling back in September, 2023. The court ruled that Section 48, Subsection 1 of the Families and Children Act was discriminatory.

Magali Marin-Young, SC, Attorney-at-law (File: September 7th, 2023)

“That section is discriminatory because it imposes a liability on a man to maintain not only his children, but also to maintain the children of his wife who are living with him at the time, whether are those children are his biologically or not.”

With the High Court ruling in favor of the unconstitutionality of that sub section, an amendment was necessary to reflect the judgment. But, a section that may not be common knowledge also exists under section forty-eight of the act. Section (b) states that every man is required to maintain his own child and the children of any child of his.

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“The point of the matter is that the law is there, the Families and Children Act in order to ensure that the child is maintained. That is the first and foremost, responsibility that the act is putting on people, adults, when you are in a family situation. You could adopt a child, fostering a child and that child becomes what you call a child of the family.”

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, the Minister of Human Development, explained that the obligations to a child falls on the either the paternal or maternal grandfather under special circumstances.

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia

“But here is the thing that was mentioned, why would you place responsibility on a grandparent? We are not saying that elderly people should be minding picni, but if you read the thing carefully, and that is why I say, some of them just like to argue, if you read the thing carefully it is saying that you look at the responsibility only where the biological parent, mother or father, they cannot be located, they are ill or they are able to maintain themselves.”

Notwithstanding the fact that this has been enshrined in the laws of Belize for many years, Michael Peyrefitte, the Lead U.D.P. Senator, argued on Thursday that parliament has an opportunity to make certain changes.

Michael Peyrefitte

“The court is the court and if the court has made a decision, if they interpret the law in such a way as it has written and it comes with a result that we do not accept or like. With all due respect to the court, we are parliament and they can make a decision in the High Court, but we in Parliament, we make the law. This is an opportunity, Madam President to make a law that is sustainable to people and makes sense.”

Paul Lopez

“Would Cabinet consider changing this approach if there is a great deal of public concern that warrants such?”

Dolores Balderamos- Garcia

“I would not say so, we have rich discussion in Cabinet about the social issues of our country and we have many people, all I would say, who are very concerned about our social issues. But I wouldn’t say we should prolong the conversation. I say and I repeat the best interest of children has to come first.”

And, concerns did not only come from Senator Peyrefitte. Other senators raised issues of unfairness.

Kevin Herrera, Business Senator

“I know there seems to be an effort to secure the wellbeing of children and I think that is a noble effort. But I think in the instance in the grandparent where it becomes mandatory where their children are unable to, whether through lose lifestyle practices; I think it is extremely unfair.”

Elena Smith, NTUCB Senator

“I look at for example my own father who passed away a year or so ago. He was ninety-two. So just imagine my brother had children he didn’t take care of, my grandfather who was ninety-two, based on this law, this was the law back then, could have been held accountable for any child my brother didn’t take care of. So, how then could my poor father, the grandfather of these children, not working anymore, being ninety, ninety-one, ninety-two take care of these children.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Senate Debates Legislation That Legitimized National Women’s Commission

On Thursday, the Senate also debated legislation that seeks to establish the National Women’s Commission as a legal body. Lead U.D.P. Senator, Michael Peyrefitte, argued that while the legislation seems like a noble effort on the surface, it gives the minister undue discretion for appointments. He further contended that the commission is a way for the government to employ political cronies.

Michael Peyrefitte, Lead UDP Senator

“This government likes to bring legislation that on the face of it seems noble. But when you really analyze it is anything but noble. It is like when you bring a budget or a supplemental and you have ten things that are ridiculous but one thing is in there that you can’t object to, because they will say oh you object to the supplemental. Unu think unu smart and we stupid. The National Women’s Commission, thirteen members appointed by the minister. If that nuh bad enough, the minister has to appoint the executive director too, for money to be determined quite possibly by that same minister. They put it as prescribed. We have an office or a person in an office that is Special Envoy for Women and Children. We have offices to deal with these issues. WE have a Ministry of Human Development which deals with man and woman, are we saying these people are not doing their jobs, that we need this for what? This is a way to find jobs for the government’s cronies and lackeys while you already cannot find money for the current public officers who are suppose to get their increments and pay.”

Dolores Refutes Claims from Senator Peyrefitte on NWC

Today, we received a response to Senator Peyrefitte’s comments from Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, the Minister of Human Development. She outrightly rejected the notion that the commission is being used as a means to employ political cronies. Here is how she puts it.

Dolores Balderamos-Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“I was disappointed to year the lead opposition Senator say why do you have a National Women’s Commission and all the members are appointed by the minister. Well, this is the administration that is in the office. And why wouldn’t the minister appoint to the National Women’s Commission which is so important on gender issues. And let me point out for the record, it is not jobs for cronies. It is not jobs for cronies. Every single member of the national Women’s Commission, which is now a statutory body, serves without pay. It is a completely voluntary thing. So it is not jobs for cronies. The chairperson gets a small stipend for the responsibility, what you call the responsibility allowance. And of course, if a member of the commission has to come from Toledo or Corozal, you will cover the food and transportation, but it is on a voluntary basis. I am sure that Senator Peyrefitte wasn’t worried when in the time of the UDP, everybody was appointed by the UDP government. I can think of some very good persons, Ann Marie Williams, Esther Ayuso, many people serve with distinction and I will never put down those women because they had the gender issues of our country at heart.”

Child State Care Costing Belizeans Annually

A 2022 Inter-American Development Bank study on children in the care of the state in Belize found that sufficient data on the total number of children under care or custody order does not exist. The study did, however, find that close to five hundred children were placed under the care of the state between 2019 and 2021. Approximately the same amount of children exited the care by that age. Interestingly, sixty-eight percent of the children who entered state care in that time period were between the age of fifteen and eighteen. Minister Dolores Balderamos-Garcia explained that while the state has an obligation to care for children in the absence of family members, or by a court order, it comes at a cost to tax payers.

Dolores Balderamos Garcia, Minister of Human Development

“Children get into the hands of the state and becomes wards of the state, number one through a court order, but where a social worker will affirm that there is either abuse or neglect, right. Like for instance, the very sad occurrence in Willows Bank where the mother was murdered. The little child was in and of water and therefore had to be taken in by the state immediately. Those are the cases where Human Services and social workers step in. Let me take this opportunity to commend all of them because we have many children in care, either in the care of government institutions, like the Dorothy Menzies Child Care Center or in private facilities that are sanctioned by the state, for example LOL down in Toledo. They have children and then our inspector of social services institutions make sure they have proper amenities, makes sure the children won’t be abused when they go into care. There is a lot of oversight that we have to do.”

Paul Lopez

“And it costs the state a lot.”

Dolores Balderamos Garcia

“Absolutely it costs the government.”

Corozal Residents Raise Environmental Concerns over Caribbean Sea Project

Residents of the Bay Shore Drive area in Corozal Town have voiced concerns over the extent of the environmental impact that a project can have in their community. The project is the construction of a jetty that extends several hundred feet into the Corozal Bay. Whether or not the property owner has gotten the requisite environmental permits to carry out the construction, the residents say they have already begun to see changes in the sea immediately next to where the construction is taking place. They shared with News Five their concerns about the project and its impact on the ecology in their community.

Voice of: June Hartley, Bay Shore Drive Resident, Corozal Town

“We just had a small breakwater a very small beach here, and with the advent of this wall, you can see that the whole tide has changed. Number one, the water is deeper on the other side of the wall than it is in this harbor, and the sand is building up. Sand is building up inside that area and sand is coming over when the tide is high, it’s coming over and filling out this rocky area here.”

Marion Ali

“Which is right in front of your property?”

Voice of: June Hartley

“That’s correct, yes. I know this wasn’t the finished product. This is intended to be a wall as tall as the one on the other side and I can’t really imagine what that will do then to the water; what we will get environmentally when that whole area is blocked off.”

Voice of: Edward Hartley, Bay Shore Drive Resident, Corozal Town
“I live right next door, so it directly impacts me in every way you can think of and of course, we’ve had a lot of problems with noise, with the construction, with large trucks, unloading boulders, with backhoes, with an excavator, you name it, we have had it. I used to have a view of the lights of Corozal. Now I have a view of a brick wall going out into the ocean and it probably impacts the value of my property.”

Voice of: William Hedlund, Bay Shore Drive Resident, Corozal Town
“Why do you need that big of a breakwater? I could understand if somebody wants to put a breakwater out 50 feet. A lot of these shoreline properties have breakwaters put out to stop erosions, but they all had environmental impact statements done. And this one, by chance or happenstance, doesn’t have anything done to it. It’s about 400 feet out into the bay. And so when you do that – why are you going to do that? Are you going to turn it into a water ski arena? Are you going to turn it into a jet ski arena? What are you going to do? There’s no reason for doing the development like they’ve done it.”

Voice of: Ty Stephens, Bay Shore Drive Resident, Corozal Town
“Just with the ecology of the sea out there, everything from algae to big fish, everything from algae all the way to the big fish that come through here is going to be affected by it. So detrimentally, I don’t know, but I wouldn’t think it would be positive. I love Belize. Obviously, I think Belize is beautiful along with his people. I love everything about it. And I’m just really cautious when it comes to any sort of big man-made situations that we’ve got over here.”

DOE Says Developer Had No Permit to Build Jetty in Corozal Bay

While the residents of the community are concerned about the project that they believe will cause significant environmental damage to the sea and marine life in their residential community, they are probably right. The Chief Environmental Officer at the Department of the Environment, Anthony Mai told News Five that they have given the owner no permission to build the jetty, which sits in the Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. Mai says the department had issued a stop order on the project and that order was violated.

On the phone: Anthony Mai, Chief Environmental Officer

“The Department of Environment is aware of the construction of the jetty the Corozal Bay Wildlife Sanctuary. In fact, we had received an application for the construction of the jetty. The owner of the jetty started the jetty, in terms of construction a few months ago, and so, a cessation order was issued for the activities to stop in terms of the construction. So we were in communication with the owner of the property on the jetty and we were looking towards settling violation. And then we informed the owner that he would have had to go through a process before the DOE considers whether to grant clearance for the jetty or not. It is unfortunate that during the discussion in terms of settling the matter, the owner went ahead and continued with the construction. So, there has been no permit from the Department of Environment that allowed the construction of the jetty.”

Marion Ali

“What would have to be done now? Obviously, the work has already begun and it extends into the sea.”

Voice of: Anthony Mai

“Yes, so currently, the activity is a violation under the environmental laws, and so the owner will be held responsible for that violation.”

Deadly House Fire on Gibnut Street Claims Life of Phillip Cattouse

A well-known employee of Pou’s Meat Pie here in Belize City lost his life overnight when the building he was renting on Gibnut Street went up in flames. The incident happened shortly before the blackout on Wednesday night. Phillip Cattouse had just returned home and was talking to his landlady about lighting a candle inside his apartment before turning in for the night. Before long the wooden structure was engulfed in flames and when the fire was extinguished, firemen discovered his charred remains among the debris. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with our first story.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A house fire in Belize City on Wednesday night claimed the life of fifty-one-year-old Philip Cattouse, otherwise known as Cutty, who was renting an apartment on Gibnut Street. The deadly blaze also destroyed several wooden structures on the property, leaving other tenants displaced in the wake of the incident. The landlady was inside her home, a concrete bungalow adjacent to the rooms, when she was alerted to the fire next door. Distraught from what she experienced, the elderly woman spoke with News Five off camera.

Voice of: Landlady

“He came home, look like he was vex and he was railing up, cussing up and thing and I came out and I asked him what he’s railing up for, right. So he said he’s trying to light a candle. So I tell, “Noh light no candle.” I seh, “from I live ya eena dis house”, ih seh, “a neva light no candle.” Ih she a just di try light wahn candle and I tell ahn noh light di candle. Ih seh yes, he still wahn try light di candle and I mi di give ahn wahn light, wahn charging light and he seh he noh want that.”

According to the property-owner, Cattouse then retired to his room. It wasn’t until she heard a shuffling from the neighboring apartment that she came out to inquire.

Voice of: Landlady

“I came in thinking he was going to out the candle. I came in and I lay down a little bit and like I hear, you know, like movements out yah. So when I came out, I saw the door open and it was like, ih look like ih mi di try open di door. Ih couldn’t get out so ih try open di door. When I sih dat, I seh well ih mussi come out because I sih di door open. But after that, I neva sih ahn again, yoh know. So I couldn’t believe that ih mi deh een deh, you know, trapped eena di fire, you know.”

Cattouse recently relocated to that apartment in December of last year and befriended his landlady and her children. The overnight fire completely damaged the wooden structure. The National Fire Service responded to the call and proceeded to extinguish the fire.

On the Phone: Kenneth Mortis, Station Supervisor, National Fire Service

“Tragedy struck last night when Mr. Phillip Cattouse, fifty-one years old, died as a result of a fire. A very unfortunate scenario went down last night whereby it left neighbors, it left the fire department baffled as to try and figure out exactly what Mr. Cattouse could have done to cause his little cabin, his little palace to go up in flames, claiming his life. [From] what we gathered, we know that the fourteen-by-twenty-four structure that was divided into three eight-foot compartments. Mr. Cattouse occupied the first of the three structures, that was where the fire started.”

This afternoon, Station Supervisor Kenneth Mortis told News Five that the fire began shortly before the blackout that blanketed the city last night.

On the Phone: Kenneth Mortis

“We know that the fire actually occurred before the shortage of electricity happened. That was roughly two minutes to eleven [o’clock]. He had retired from work and after probably socializing, having some beverages, he probably had one too many whereby it was reported that he was using a candle as a means of light and somehow he apparently fell asleep with this candle burning. The curtain got a whiff of the flame and consumed the structure, thus causing fire damage to the three apartment complex, the neighboring structure in the yard and, of course, took his life.”

Cattouse’s landlady, who is disabled, recounts having to evacuate her grandchildren from the family home as the fire consumed the apartment building.

Voice of: Landlady

“It was last night, I had was to tend to my two granddaughters, tek them out of the house and try get them to somewhere safe, you know. One of them is eight years old and one of them is six years old and only me and them were in the house, in my house. I was trying to get them to safety.”

Isani Cayetano

“That must have been a frightening experience, right?”

Landlady

“Yes, very… because I’ve never been through this experience before, you know.”

Isani Cayetano

“How are you dealing with it knowing that your tenant lost his life?”

Landlady

“I can’t take it, I cannot take it. My head is hurting. I couldn’t even sleep. My hearts pains me and I’m nervous right now.”

Phillip “Cutty” Cattouse was well-known from his job with Pou’s Meatpie here in Belize City. Isani Cayetano for News Five.