When police officers tracked down Cruz Castillo to detain him for questioning in connection with Shane Baizar’s murder, things did not quite turn out as was planned. During the process of detention, Castillo reportedly pulled a firearm at the officers. As a result, police fired back and fatally injured Castillo. ComPol Williams told us more.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“To give a history of Cruz Castillo. He recently got off a murder charge due to the fact that the witness did not appear in court. He was charged for the murder of an immigration employee. And, following that matter he was also the prime suspect in the disappearance of the taxi man from Corozal Town. He was also wanted for a rape in San Ignacio. He was wanted for an aggravated assault in Bermudian Landing where he shot at somebody. He was also wanted for burglary im Bermudian Landing where he broke into a house and stole a hammock and some other times. And he was also wanted for shooting at the police on the Boom Road in a pursuit and then now for the murder of Shane Baizar. So Mr. Castillo has been extremely busy, countrywide, moving around committing crimes. I must say that this afternoon police in the Cotton Tree area was in search of Mr. Castillo and they saw him and upon seeing the police he took out a nine millimeter pistol and upon doing so the police returned fire, didn’t wait for him to shoot. They police acted in self defense knowing the history of Mr. Castillo and he was fatally shot by the police.”
Reporter
Any idea why Mr. Castillo wanted to kill Mr. Baizar?
Chester Williams
“From what we gathered, Mr. Castillo was working for Mr. Baizar. And, he knew that Mr. Baizar had gone to the bank to do a withdrawal and he asked Mr. Baizar for some money and Baizar gave him twenty dollars and told him to leave and not to return. That seemed to have aggravated him and he did what he did to mister Baizar.”
In the span of just a few days, a series of tragedies have befallen the quiet village of Libertad. On Saturday, March second, Breeann Kyle, a forty-one year old American resident residing in Libertad, Corozal, was found dead inside her home next to her ten-month-old daughter, who, fortunately, was uninjured. Kyle’s husband, twenty-year-old Jaquan Smith, had informed the police of his wife’s death while he was receiving treatment at a hospital for injuries suffered in a car crash. Smith was detained pending questioning in the alleged murder of his wife, but would later be found dead in his cell after seemingly committing suicide. News Five’s Britney Gordon Reports.
Britney Gordon, reporting
Residents of Libertad are left in a state of shock after several devastating incidents occurred in succession within just three days. On Saturday, March second, police responded to the reports of a road traffic accident between mile seventy-four and seventy-five of the Philip Goldson Highway. When police arrived at the Corozal Community Hospital where twenty-year-old Jaquan Smith was receiving treatment for his injuries, he revealed that his wife had been murdered in their shared home in Libertad. The body was discovered by an Orange Walk taxi driver who had been contacted by Kyle’s parents to investigate the scene on their behalf. There, he found forty-one year old Breeann Kyle, deceased on her couch with multiple stab wounds. Also in the house was Kyle and Smith’s infant child, unharmed, aside from being left unattended to. According to residents of the neighborhood, the couple had recently moved in after Kyle’s father, Leo Kyle, purchased the house.
Pedro Teck
Pedro Teck, Neighbor
“I don’t know them by name. I just saw them one day when I came from Belize. I saw who was the person who bought the house. From John Nelson, from my boss. He owned it, but he sold it to Mister Leo. The last owner who they said they killed his daughter.”
Britney Gordon
“So how long has mister Leo’s family been living in there?”
Pedro Teck
“Oh, they just came down from the States, I would say about two months, not so long.”
According to Teck, the couple was unfamiliar to most of the villagers; since they had recently relocated to Libertad and that the house was a short distance from their nearest neighbors.
Britney Gordon
“Are they, integrated into the village? Do people know them well?”
Pedro Teck
“No, no, no, not no much. Only one guy know him, the guy that do mechanic work for them, the guy to the back there. So he’s the one who when mister Leo heard that they killed his daughter, he called the guy and told him to take care of the baby while he comes back from the States.”
Upon hearing the news, Kyle’s father flew to Belize on Sunday, but would receive more unfortunate news, as the suspected murderer was found dead in his prison cell this morning at the Corozal Police station. According to Police Commissioner, Chester Williams, Smith died by hanging himself.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We had an incident in Corozal where a young American fellow was accused of killing his wife. He was eventually intercepted by the police at a traffic accident scene in Corozal and taken into custody. This morning the police went to clean a cell. He was in a cell, black, alive and well, and the police left to retrieve the prisoner’s food and returned about 10 minutes later. Upon return, They found him hanging in the cell by his pants, with his pants. So, he took off his long pants that he was wearing and hung himself. So, he is now deceased.”
Williams stated that the police overseeing Smith’s detainment had carried out their duties correctly and that the situation was an unfortunate incident.
Chester Williams
“Very unfortunate situation. I know that some might want to say the police could have done more, but the police would normally do cell block checks, like, every half an hour. And if they had just cleaned the cell and ten minutes returned with food to feed the man, I couldn’t, I would not be able to see where the police would have faltered in that situation. It’s an unfortunate situation, but again, we have to deal with that.”
In the case of the Libertad murder-suicide of husband and wife Breeann Kyle and Jaquan Smith, we spoke with Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, for more information. According to Williams, despite an existing policy to relieve detainees of items that would be harmful to them, the police department is not in a position to have detainees remove articles of clothing. Here’s Williams with the update.
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“Saturday the morning police responded to a traffic accident on the Belize Corozal Road in just on the outskirt of Corozal Town., where they encountered an American male individual. He was taken to the Corozal Community Hospital, where he received medical treatment, and there the police learned that his wife has been murdered. Police eventually detained him, and he was taken to the Corozal Police Station, while police had gone to his home in Libertad, too. Upon police arrival there, the lifeless body of his wife was found inside the home. And police also found a shallow grave that was being dug. And believe it was dug with the intent of disposing of the body of his wife. He eventually told the police that someone had gone into the home and killed his wife and he was trying to bury the body before, instead of reporting it to the police. Nonetheless, the police did not buy that story. Our indications were that he was the one who actually killed his wife. As a matter of fact, there were some collaboration from a family friend of the wife, whom were notified by the wife’s parents that something was going on at the house between the two, and the family friend was summoned to go to the house to secure the safety of the child, which the family friend eventually did. So, the investigation were ongoing, and this morning the police went to clean the cell block. And the male prisoner was still in custody alive and well. And the police eventually left to go and retrieve the prisoner food. And returned ten minutes later, upon their return, they found him hanging from the bar of the cell with his long pants that he was wearing at the particular time. And so, we are currently dealing with that matter now as a case of suicide.”
Reporter
“What have officers said about his state of mind? Or apparent state of mind?”
Chester Williams
“Well from what I am getting, there was nothing to indicate that he would have committed suicide but part of the protocol that we normally do is to make sure that whenever we have a prisoner in custody, whether there is signs of, If them wanted to commit suicide or not, we would normally take away items from them that they believe they can use to commit suicide. So, like a shoelace, a belt, or anything of that sort. But we cannot go to the extent of removing a person’s clothing. That would be tantamount to cruel and humane treatment.”
Reporter
“Have the police been able to speak to the residents or any of their family members to find out whether there was a history of domestic violence or whether there was any troubles in this relationship?”
Chester Williams
“Well, like I said, the police spoke to a family friend who got a call from the family of the female, the wife, who told this family friend certain things and that information has been communicated to the police and is a part of the investigation.”
Reporter
“Was there any history? Had she made any prior report?”
Chester Williams
“At this time I can say no.”
Reporter
“A child was also in the house, we understand, an infant?”
Chester Williams
“Yeah, the child was secured by the family friend who, who was called by the wife’s relatives from the States. So I think that child has been turned over to social. And while we try to work through the U.S. Embassy to see if there’s going to be any family member of the wife who would come to claim the child.”
Reporter
“Isn’t it factual, however, that he had already tried to harm himself by getting into the accident, which, as I understand it, was a deliberate act on his part?”
Chester Williams
“Well, I can’t say the accident were deliberate on his part, and again, he was in custody from Friday [Saturday], and he didn’t attempt to have committed suicide, so I can’t say.”
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.
“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, webelieve 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.
Tonight, there are growing concerns over child safety in primary schools. On Wednesday, we received reports of a child being badly injured by another child while attending classes in Orange Walk Town. An afterschool fight between two primary school children in Cotton Tree Village resulted in a shootout between adults. News Five has learnt that the altercation happened on Wednesday evening. The adult siblings of one of the female minor intervened during the fight. According to an account from one of the adult siblings, the shootout was sparked by a misunderstanding that stemmed from the fight between the two minors. We are informed that the brothers of the second minor confronted forty-seven-year-old Richard Williams, the father of one of the children that were involved in the fight. Armed with a machete and a firearm, they allegedly opened fire at Williams and his children. A police officer was in the area at the time. He returned fire with his license firearm. During the exchange, Williams’ sister- in- law was injured. We spoke with one of Williams’ daughter. Here is what she told us off camera.
Voice of: Witness
Voice of: Witness
“Deh mih have this lee gial and ih sista right and then afterwards, ih sister come and get in a fight with my sister and we end up at Belmopan Police Station. When we come back we mih the come through suh and we sih some bway and deh mih the throw up signs, so we went to the bus stop. When we come back deh seh that how deh mih wah ketch my big bredda, he mih the come from shop. When he run, deh seh sih he deh, but the bally couldn’t lift up the gun. He mih have it on the ground and one fire shot between my breda and sista. And then afterwards he run in the yard then a next one come to my pah and my pah she, do what you have to do. So the two brothers come and took the one with the gun. A man mih the yah and he fire shot after them too and dah suh deh gawn back suh.”
Paul Lopez
“Why were they after your brother if it was two kids fighting initially?”
Voice of: Witness
“Because, they tell lie and seh that dah my breda punch their little sister in her eye and buss it which is nothing like that. I see everything that happened. She was there and had a stick with a nail to hit my little sister and when she lift the stick ih wap ah dah ih eye and when the stick wap ah, she gone her breda deh that dah my breda punch ah.”
Paul Lopez
“It was your uncle’s partner that got shot or what happened to her?”
Voice of: Witness
“She get scratch on her hand and deh seh maybe from a shell.”
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.
The International Monetary Fund has wrapped up its Article Five consultation. In its concluding statement, the I.M.F. reported that Belize’s economy has continued to perform well. The report noted continued G.D.P. growth over the last three years, adding that this growth has been led by the expansion of tourism, construction, and the business process outsourcing sectors, among others. The I.M.F.’s report further stated that unemployment has decreased from fourteen percent in 2020 to three point four percent in 2023. The report also provided a positive outlook for Belize’s inflation rate and G.D.P. growth. Today we caught up with, Christopher Coye, the Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, who told us more.
Christopher Coye, Minister of State, Ministry of Finance
“I think the IMF article four consultations reflect and the concluding statement reflects what we have been experiencing in Belize. We have been experiencing a resurgence of the Belize economy. The growth continues to perform for Belize, relatively well. I think in this last calendar year we experienced an estimated five percent growth. I think they are estimating four point five, Central Bank is estimating the same number. I believe we will outperform that a little bit. But nonetheless, it is around five percent growth. They also highlight our debt dynamics. Our debt fiscal position remains robust. We expect a primary surplus once again this year and the inflation continues to moderate. They are estimating that inflation for 2023 will be a little over four percent, for 2024 it will reduce to a little over three percent and then reduce further to about one point three percent thereafter. The unemployment rate, their estimate is about three percent there about and that we would remain at or above full employment for the foreseeable future. So, all in all, the consultations went quite well and the report indicates how the economy and the government has been performing in a positive way.”
Two weeks ago, the National Trade Union Congress of Belize fired off a letter to the International Monetary Fund, informing that the umbrella organization was boycotting all further consultations with the financial institution. The N.T.U.C.B. stated that its reason for shunning the I.M.F. was because it was simply being used as a checkbox. The congress wrote, “we are deeply troubled by the negative recommendations towards hard-working public sector workers, teachers, police, doctors, nurses, firemen, etcetera The negative impact that the I.M.F.’s interventions have had on the working class, economies, and people of developing countries within the Caribbean and Latin American Region is of serious concern”. Today, Minister of State in the Ministry of Finance, Chris Coye said that the union’s decision was unfortunate.
Chris Coye, Minister of State, Finance
“The IMF tries to have as broad a consultation as possible as it goes through its Article 4 process. In order to put together it’s concluding statement, that concluding statement it provides insight as to how the economy is performing, how the government is doing how the financial sector is doing and, what, they see is likely to occur in the future. So it’s important to become as informed as possible from as many stakeholders in the economy as possible. It’s unfortunate that that meeting did not happen so that the NTUCB could give their, views and opinions. But nonetheless, the work has to go on and ultimately the IMF will produce their report.”
A lawsuit involving the Government of Belize was filed by the principals of Stake Bank last August in which they are seeking one hundred and seventy-eight million dollars in special damages. The claim was brought against G.O.B. after developer Michael Feinstein said he lost significant potential revenue when government entered into the definitive agreement with Portico Enterprises Limited. But why has the matter been kept on the hush, despite the significant sum being sought by Stake Bank? We begin our newscast tonight with a look at the claim and how it all came to be. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
When ground was broken by the principals of Stake Bank Enterprise Ltd. in February 2019, it was with a plan that the tourism development project on the twenty-five acre island which bears the namesake of the company, would have been completed within a few years. That was five years ago. Since then, the location has been transformed from a barren island just a few miles off the coast of Belize City, to a construction site that is largely developed but unfinished.
In August 2017, Michael Feinstein and Stake Bank Enterprise Ltd. entered into a definitive agreement with the Government of Belize that allowed the company to build and operate the Stake Bank project, otherwise known as Port Coral. That contract would remain fixed for a period of twenty-five years and preceded the Stake Bank Cruise Docking Facility Development Act which came into being in January 2018. Despite the existence of the Stake Bank Definitive Agreement, GOB proceeded to approve another cruise ship docking facility in Belize District. That would be the controversial Port of Magical Belize.
In a claim brought by Feinstein and Stake Bank against the Attorney General and Portico Enterprises Limited, the parent company for Port of Magical Belize, special damages of almost one hundred and eighty million dollars are being sought for multiple breaches of that definitive agreement. According to a claim signed by Feinstein in August 2023, government entered into a memorandum of understanding with Portico in September 2017, at which point the Barrow administration, quote, indicated that it was considering granting the second defendant approval to construct and operate a cruise ship docking facility in or in the vicinity of the Port of Belize, end quote. This, says Feinstein, coincided with negotiations that Stake Bank was having with financial institutions to secure financing to construct the Stake Bank project. Stake Bank Enterprise was also in discussions with cruise ship operators to secure usage agreements to dock at the facility when the project was completed. It is alleged that news of Portico’s memorandum of understanding thwarted both negotiations and, as a result, prevented the construction of the Stake Bank Project from continuing.
When the Government of Belize entered into a definitive agreement with Portico in October 2020, it granted a thirty-year term for the Port of Magical Belize with a raft of excessively approving rights, tax benefits and duty concessions that GOB had never granted to any other investor or developer. According to Stake Bank, as a result of those breaches, it has suffered extensive loss and damage, as the project has been stalled for six years. The company, says Feinstein, has also lost projected net revenues for that period which comes up to one hundred and forty-eight million, four hundred and thirty-four thousand, four hundred and four Belize dollars. It also claims that it has incurred thirty million Belize dollars in additional interest during that period.
We note that while the suit against the Briceño administration was filed in the High Court in August 2023, it was never publicized. We also note that the claim was brought a little over two months after Anthony Sylvestre assumed office as the new attorney general.
Today, the Senate Special Select Committee resumed its inquiry into the Portico Definitive Agreement. Hugo Patt, former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources, was the first witness to testify before the committee. Patt was much more cooperative than his former lands commissioner, even though he did not see any of the questions relevant to the motion at hand or the committee’s terms of reference. Dean Barrow, the former Prime Minister, appeared as legal counsel for Patt. A majority of the questions posed by the committee focused on those November fourth, 2020 land transaction approvals at the Ministry of Natural Resources. This time, questions were focused on seven companies that reportedly received nine parcels of fifty-acre lands, and why all seven companies had the same director. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.
Paul Lopez, Reporting
Hugo Patt, the former Minister of Natural Resources, testified during today’s Senate Special Select Committee’s inquiry. Patt was the minister responsible for that department from 2018 up until the 2020 general election.
Hugo Patt
Hugo Patt, Former Minister of Natural Resources
“Whenever applications were submitted the process was very straight forward. Applications were submitted, made it through the process and eventually it ended up with me. As long as the application was recommended and it had met all the requirements then it was approved”
Kevin Herrera
Kevin Herrera, Senator
“What would have been some of those requirements?”
Hugo Patt
“I could not get into the details but of my mind, as long as the person is a Belizean that person could apply and another important one for the ministry is that whenever a parcel of land was applied the ministry had to make sure it was national lands in order for it to be processed.”
The committee, as it did with the former lands commissioner, continued to pose questions related to more than a dozen land transactions that were approved on November fourth, 2020, days before the last general elections. Those lands, located in the vicinity of the proposed site for the Port of Magical Belize, were divided into fifty-acre parcels and many were sold for below five thousand dollars each.
Kevin Herrera
“Would you recall whether or not Portico had applied for lands under its own name?”
Dean Barrow
Dean Barrow, Attorney
“Madam Chair certainly the general questions that the Senator is asked, he tries to be helpful. But I must reiterate that once the questions become specific regarding Portico and any application made in the names of Portico for lands. I think that is outside the terms of reference.”
The committee noted that it had documents from within the Ministry of Natural Resources showing that four hundred and fifty acres of land within in the area in question were approved for sale by the Ministry of Natural Resources to seven separate companies on November fourth, 2020. The same director was listed for all those companies, businessman Sunjay Hotchandani.
Bevington Cal
Senator Bevington Cal
“While approving these lands, especially for companies, would it be a concern to have differn5t companies applying the same day and same directors, would that be a concern?”
Hugo Patt
“Senator, whenever applications were accepted it is because they met the requirements. Whenever applications met the necessary requirements those were sent for processing.”
Kevin Herrera
“Mr Patt, would you recall a company called Keystar Limited?”
Hugo Patt
“Senator with much respect I don’t see the relevance of that question, nether to the motion or terms of reference.”
Kevin Herrera
“Would you recall a company called Fire Sky Limited?”
Hugo Patt
“With much respect, I don’t see the relevance of your question so I will exercisemy right.”
Kevin Herrera
“Same question, Vision Pro Limited.”
Hugo Patt
“I will reserve my right as a witness not to answer.”
Kevin Herrera
“Alkaline Limited.”
Hugo Patt
“I will reserve my rights not to respond to that question.”
Kevin Herrera
“Building Blocks Limited”
Hugo Patt
“Same Answer”
Kevin Herrera
“Kill Switch Limited”
Hugo Patt
“Same Answer Senator”
Kevin Herrera
“Build Zone Limited”
Hugo Patt
“Same Answer Senator”
Kevin Herrera
“The common director in all those companies is an individual Sunjay Hotchandani. Would you be familiar with him sir?”
Hugo Patt
“I don’t find that question relevant to the motion or terms of reference. So I will exercise my right as a witness to decline to answer, with much respect Senator.”
The committee further noted that three of those parcels were sold to Portico Enterprises. Two that were bought for five thousand dollars from the Government of Belize were sold off to Portico for fifteen thousand dollars. Interestingly, one parcel that Key Star Limited reportedly bought for thirty-three thousand dollars was also sold for fifteen thousand dollars.
Bevington Cal, Senator
“For the Belizean people to know, we got a document from the lands department that was shared to you that you don’t want to read, but I will read it for you. Coastal lands are usually sold at four thousand per acre and all of these lands issued at east of northern lagoon were sold at five thousand three hundred.
Mr. Patt with simple math, fifty point one acres of land on coastal lands is valued at two hundred thousand dollars. All of these were only sold for five thousand three hundred dollars. To me that sounds like a lot of revenue lost by the government of Belize during your tenure.”
Hugo Patt
“While the question is irrelevant to the Definitive Agreement I will have to state for the record that the social rates the ministry applied then had been there for time immemorial. It is not something I instituted. But as the former minister of natural resources I saw it as my duty to ensure that each and every Belizean gets a portion of land at very affordable and social rates.”
