Police Charge Steven Flores with Murder of George Brown

Thirty-seven-year-old Steven Flores from Hopkins has been charged with the murder of eighteen-year-old George Brown. While this brings some relief to Brown’s family and friends, the public is buzzing with questions about how the Hopkins police handled Flores’ arrest. The incident allegedly began when Brown asked Flores to take off a jacket that belonged to him. Flores, who had been living with Brown’s sister, Evril Kelly, for the past eight years, refused. The two parted ways but soon crossed paths again, leading to a confrontation where Flores reportedly threw a bicycle at Brown. A fistfight ensued, and Flores allegedly pulled out a knife and fatally stabbed Brown. Evril Kelly is now speaking out, criticizing the police after an amateur video surfaced showing the arrest of her common-law husband. News Five’s Marion Ali has more on this story.

 

On the Phone: Evril Kelly, Sister of Deceased

“ Ih nuh change the feeling that we lost, we leave BABY, you know, in a change of feeling, we still hurt, we still hurt, we hurt, very hurt.”

 

Marion Ali, Reporting

Evril Kelly, the sister of eighteen-year-old George Brown who was stabbed to death on Wednesday morning says the murder charge brought against her common-law-husband, Steven Flores does not ease the family’s pain. Kelly also slams the police for the way they handled Flores’ arrest.

 

On the Phone: Evril Kelly

“ After watching a video yesterday, with the police, ih look like the police di protect he. It’s even more hurt for my family, very hurt. Going to the station to identify the murder weapon and seing the murder weapon with no blood on it, like weh happen to the blood weh mi deh pahn the knife? The murder weapon da the only knife we have in the house. That da the knife he kill my bredda with. I just use a knife the night before fi cook. He kill my bredda with the knife.”

 

Kelly questions the officer’s handling of Flores’s arrest.

 

On the Phone: Evril Kelly

“ I think if a different police officer was on the scene other than Mr. Palacio, I know him as “Bling”, as one of Steven’s friends, I think if it was any other police officer, ih mi gwein completely different.”

 

Marion Ali

“You’re saying that the policeman who went to arrest your common-law-husband  is his friend?”

 

On the Phone: Evril Kelly

“Yes, that is his friend. I know him as his friend.”

 

Marion Ali

“They hang out together?”

 

On the Phone: Evril Kelly

“They hang out together. The police drive up to our house, pay Steven regular visits, you know. It hurt me to see that they nuh respect my lee bredda death. He di protect this man after this man done kill my bredda. He have the murder weapon in his hand like da wa toy. What happened to the blood on the murder weapon? I gone identify the weapon this morning and there was no blood on it. Who wiped the blood?”

 

Jaden Rubio is the cousin of the deceased, George Brown. He was with Brown the night before.

 

Jaden Rubio, Cousin of Deceased

“We were at Tandoori first, taking a couple drink and after that, he tell me let’s goh da Driftwood and have a nice burger because they sell nice burger deh. I tell ah “Real G, alright.” Cause I tell ah I tired ah eat at Tandoori. So we went to Driftwood last night, enjoy last night, not knowing that was the last night, I mi wa see my cousin. We ate burger together, drink a couple drink together. After that I tell ah G, mek wi goh home and chill out and watch a movie, you know.  And after that we come and watch a movie, not knowing that was the last night  I was gonna hang out with G.”

 

Rubio said he saw Brown the same morning, but from a distance and had planned to go meet him later that morning.

 

Jaden Rubio

“I start up my motorbike and then I hear my cousin Ezekiel call me. “You going to the gym for a coffee?” I tell him yes. And I see G came out, and G was like watching me. And I tell G, wait here G, I’m coming back for you right now. I’m just going to get a coffee, me and Ezekiel. And he be like, alright. And I saw him lock back the door, but my intentions now was like, G went back and sleep, you know, not knowing when we went all the way to the gym someone came here and, I don’t know, maybe his cousin came here and call him. That’s when he get in the altercation with the guy from Dangriga. But the guy approach my cousin approach him nice and ask him for his jacket. And he didn’t want to give my cousin his own jacket. So my cousin get a little bit upset and he, not knowing the other guy has a knife on him, that’s when my cousin try to protect himself and my little brother try to protect two of them and he end up  grabbing my cousin and it look like he end up stabbing my cousin.”

 

George Brown would have turned nineteen next week. Marion Ali for News Five.