2024-04-11 - Channel 5 Belize

Coast Guard Murdered In Belize City

A member of the Belize Coast Guard was murdered last night near his home on Consuelo Street in Belize City. Twenty-six-year-old Charles James was shot around eight p.m. in Saint Martin’s area which falls under the state of emergency that was issued last month. When police arrived on the scene, a shootout between police and a suspect ensued. Before we go to that shootout, we first report on the murder. News Five’s Britney Gordon has the story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Twenty-six-year-old Charles James was murdered in cold blood just a few steps away from his home in the Saint Martin’s area of Belize City. James was a member of the Belize Coast for four years and held the rank of seamen in the force. His death came as a blow to his community, who remembered Charles fondly. Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams said that upon arrival, a shootout ensued in pursuit of the assailants, resulting in the injury of seventeen-year-old, Jamal Jones

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Last night around eight p.m., police received information of shots fired on Consuelo Street in the Saint Martin’s De Porres area. Upon arrival, police observed a male person, who was later identified as a member of the Police Coast Guard, suffering from gunshot injuries. He was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. Police, in responding to the incident, encountered two men who were fleeing the crime scene at the particular moment. They first encountered a police officer who was off duty, in plain clothes. And upon the police officer saying to them, police, they turned the weapon at the police but did not fire. But the police fired at them. Fearing for his life, he did fire at them.”

According to Williams, after investigating, Jones was determined to be one of two suspects involved in the shooting and was subsequently detained.

Chester Williams

“They continued fleeing and little after that, they encountered another police officer who was on duty and was dressed in BDU. And this police officer came face to face with the two alleged gunmen. And they fired shots at the police. The police returned fire and the two men continued to run. I can say the police officer’s uniform had bullet holes from the shooting, but thankfully he was not injured. Moments later, the police got information of a person who was seen bleeding at a particular location, and police responded where they found one Jalen Jones, who was suffering from a gunshot injury to the foot. And seemingly he had already gotten someone to assist him in tying the wound to stop the bleeding. police took custody of Jones and from all indications he was dressed in the same clothing that one of the two alleged gunmen were dressed in. And police also followed the blood trail from where the officers had fired shots at the gunman. And the blood trail led to where he was found. So, we are sure that he was one of those persons who is involved in the murder and was also one of those who shot at the police.”

James was the nephew of the late Winston “Tanga” James, a figure known for his gang affiliations. However, Williams maintained that this incident was not gang-related, and was instead, driven by a dispute over a romantic partner.

Reporter

“Do you believe mister James was targeted because of his family relations or because of the neighborhood he lives in or that he may be perceived? We know in the Peace Cup he may have been perceived to be affiliated with the BLC gang. Is that why he was targeted?”

Chester Williams

“We believe that it has to do with a woman.”

Britney Gordon

“And the mother, in her live, she claims that her son couldn’t have been the one because they are friends. So you believe that this dispute happened between associates?”

Chester Williams

“You know, you wonder, people they get killed and every time the mothers don’t come, they don’t know their son. You wonder who they do it, they must be me and Jules, right? Because, I don’t know, and that is, that is one of our problem. When we have mothers who are condoning, look at how quick this mother last night was in trying to find an excuse for her son. It’s just so sad but, again, who would know best where you are? Your friend, right? So, yeah.”

According to Williams, the murder weapon has still not been located at this time.

Chester Williams

“Yes, we do have overwhelming evidence to support the fact that he was one of the persons who went to the house and shot him.”

Reporter

“But no weapon at this time?”

Chester Williams

“We are going back to the area, we have been made to understand where the weapon had been dropped in the canal and so we’ll be going back to the era with some equipment to see if we can retrieve it.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Family Claims Minor’s Arrest Was A Mistake, Threatens To Sue

At the top of the news we told you about the shootout between police and the suspect in the Charles James murder. That suspect is a minor who was shot by police officers and taken to Racoon Street Police Station. His family rushed to the station, pleading that he be taken to the hospital for emergency care. Today, the family further detailed the incident as they saw it and explain that they are ready to take legal action if necessary. News Five’s Britney Gordon reports.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

Jaylon Jones’ mother Sherilee Barrow recounted the night her son was shot. She says that moments before, Jones had been eating food with her before leaving the house. Not long after, she saw her son running through the street but was unable to ask where he was going. After that, things escalated, and Barrow received information that her son had been shot somewhere nearby.

Sherilee Barrow, Mother of Shooting Victim

“My son mih come in a few minutes ago come eat some macaroni out of the pot with bread. So I tell he noh eat out all of the macaroni and thing. So he come outside, lock the door. My daughter ney come hail me, bring something for me. And they gone, I continue laid down in the bed there. And after that, I hear some gunshot gone off. And when I hear the gunshot gone off, I jump up. I frighten out of the lee doze weh I mi de ina because I always have to worry about my lee bwai ney. Because to me, they da wah target to the police, you know. And I always have to de pon my guards. I deh soh dih pray fi ney lee bwai every night not knowing it would happen close to home. And anyway, my son, I hear somebody come in the yard, so I pop my back blinds. And I pop my black blinds. I hear the person the run gwen soh, so when I look, I see dah my son, I sih halla fi ah, Jaylon, Jaylon, Jaylon but ih noh look back. He mi have on the same clothes he had on from all day, he mi tell me he need fi wash. H e neva had no clean clothes, a white shirt and a black pants da dat he mi have on. Continue run, but I noh tek it like that. So I gone inside gone tend to the baby because I dih do wa lee babysitting for my niece. And after that, when I look one of his friends come and after that I she Cory you noh see Jaylon because I just mishalla fih ah and ih run through the yard yah and ih noh stop. Da weh I did tell Cory and Cory seh miss Sher I just left Jaylon and Jaylon gone up the street. She ih di come back right now, ih gwen fi something. And I tell ah I just left Jaylon di eat some macaroni. He she miss Sher, I noh know, I noh know and he gone and after wa lee while, he come back. Cory come halla fii me and she miss Sherilee, da Jaylon ney shot and Jaylon look like he collapse over in the yard ova deh soh. Police deh round ah and ney no wah move ah. Miss Sherilee come emk ney move your son.That weh he di tell me right.”

Barrow said that she arrived at the scene as quickly as possible and found her son bleeding from a gunshot wound. Jones was taken into police custody shortly after.

Sherilee Barrow

“And I put on my clothes, jump and I got through there and I run through deh soh. And the whole neighborhood, dih rail up because they have inna the yard, and a whole amount of police circled around ah and they don’t want to move ah, right? And so I dih fight through ney, dih referee through ney, like dih bustle through ney, hustling and bustling between me and my daughter, the fight through fi get to he. And after that I halla fi ah and dat da howe he finally hear me. And he she m ma ma ney shot me ma. And after that I said please help my son. Please go to the hospital. Please go to the hospital. Officer seh I wa ker ah right now.That’s what he said. I wa ker ah right now. That’s what he said, And after that I said unu please help me but all ah ney just stand up and watch me. So after that I get weh from ney, and I pop round ney. And after that I gone hold my son in my hand and ask my son who hurt him. My son she ma when that happen, I noh know weh happen.. Ih she everybodt start to run and I end up get shot. I don’t know who shot me. Dah weh he dih tell me. Right? So when that done happen, all the police come and fight he fah me and they pick up and put he in the truck back.”

Barrow explained that she, her daughter and son-in-law followed the police to the station. She claims that upon arrival she was met with opposition from the police. She said that they pleaded for officers to take her son to the hospital for medical attention. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams, however, said that would go against protocol.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“As you know, there is a standing protocol that we, um, Do not transport injured persons to the hospital. The police only transport the dead Injured persons are to be transported by the ambulance and so the police officers had took the young man to the Mahogany station Awaiting the ambulance to arrive so the ambulance could have transported him to the hospital For me, I personally would not want for the police to have escorted him For the main fact that he is the same one who had shot at the police Secondly, it was the same police officers that he had shot at who had him in custody. So to avoid any speculations, I would have preferred the ambulance to take him. I saw a live last night where, um, persons were going off and saying that the police had the man in the vehicle to bleed to death. Let me say the man’s injuries were, were, was not life threatening. The bleeding had stopped because they had tied it up with something and, uh, the police were just waiting for the ambulance to come and take him. Seeing that the ambulance took too long, the police eventually took him to the hospital. But again, persons were flustered because they were not allowed to go near the police vehicle. And that could be for the simple fact that when you have a person who is, um, accused of killing another, um, in the same area, you wouldn’t want to have any anybody approach the vehicle that he would be in because what if it would have been associated with the person, person that he had killed who would have want them to come and just kill him in the police vehicle. So police had to make sure that the accused was safe while in their care at that particular moment.”

Barrow maintains that her son was not the type to associate with gang members, nor did he have any conflict with his neighbors. She said that she was unaware that a second person had been detained for the murder and firmly believes her son is not familiar with any of the parties involved.

Britney Gordon

“Was there any conflict that your son was involved at anyone in the area recently?”

Sherilee Barrow

“No ma’am, and if my son be doing anything or involved in anything, I’ll be the first one to know everything cuz he always come confide in me. One thing my kids say, I raised him in a type of way they don’t hide nothing from me ma’am My son don’t have no conflict with nobody or nothing like that”

Brother-in-law of the victim, Joseph Camp stated that the family is prepared to take legal action against the department if necessary. He claims that the department is discriminating against his family members and alleges that both he and his mother-in-law were assaulted and pepper sprayed the night of the incident.

Joseph Camp, Brother-in-law of Shooting Victim

“So, we filed a, uh, a professional standards report this morning with the police department. We do intend to hire lawyers to prosecute every legal remedy that you are afforded. I do have my legal team in the United States aware of this, the U. S. Embassy as well, um, and I intend to seek every legal recourse for myself, my in laws, and my brother in law. Uh, reviewing what I spoke with the detectives this morning, they do not have any physical evidence connecting my brother-in-law to the shooting of What they have is speculation and they have a profiling of my brother in law, which I believe is very disturbing and very disgusting.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

ComPol Wants SOE Extended

With these recent incidents in southside Belize City, Police Commissioner Chester Williams says that the state of emergency needs to be extended for a longer period and expanded to the PIV gang area. He says that officers have been arresting men in that area believed to be gang members since Wednesday night.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“There are gang members who are involved in this matter. The suspects are from the PIV gang area. And you will know that when the SOE began, I had said that even though Martins, was a part of the proclamation we would not go after marathons, but as they were behaving. This has now changed that picture, and so certainly, we will have to deal with those persons from the PIV and they have to form part of the SOE. Again, I am pushing, to see if we can have the SOE extended for the simple fact that we believe that some of these young men have still not really gotten the message, and we need more time to be able to properly investigate those persons who are under the SOE. The one month period would not, would not suffice. So, I’m seeking to see if we can get it extended for another month.”

Death by Conch Shell, American Woman Killed by Husband

Police have charged forty-one-year-old Maynor Rene Ancona with the death of his wife, American national Jennifer Lynn Griffith. Ancona was charged with manslaughter by negligence. Police Commissioner Chester Williams confirmed to reporters today that Griffith died after being hit by a conch shell in the head. According to Williams, Ancona reportedly threw the conch shell by mistake during a brawl that took place in San Pedro Town over the weekend. While Ancona has not confessed to accidentally killing his wife, Williams says investigators have enough evidence to substantiate the charge.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“The pathologist certified that the lady died from a penetration to the head by a projectile. I also think that fragments of the conch shell was also found in her head. And so we can see definitively now that it was a commercial that caused, caused her debt. The question now is who threw the commercial that caused her death. And, we have recorded a number of statements from persons who were involved in the fight as well as other independent witnesses. And from the investigation, it appeared that, we can confirm from the investigation that the person who threw the projectile that caused the death of the American woman is her husband. And so he will be charged today for manslaughter by negligence. He was throwing it indiscriminately and then it caught her and that led to her death. It’s a very sad situation. I know that he must be going through a very, very difficult time now. He lost his wife. And now he has to be charged for it. For sure, he did not intend to, but in law there is a thing that is called transfer of malice.”

Reporter
“So, did he admit to that?”

Chester Williams
“No, he did not.”

Britney Gordon
“Has any security footage been reviewed?”

Chester Williams
“There is none.”

Mother of Assault Victim Demands Further Action By Police

Earlier this week we showed you a viral video showing a man being physically assaulted by two men. The victim of the assault has been identified as Mark Avilez. The footage also shows that, during the assault, a toilet bowl was thrown at Avilez. The perpetrator, thirty-year-old Emmerson Garnett, pleaded guilty to two counts of common assault. And as we reported, Garnett was fined five hundred five dollars. Tonight, the mother of Mark Avilez, says she is not satisfied with the charge. She is now pressing the police department to file charges against Avilez’s girlfriend and the man who held down Avilez. The mother explained that the incident originated from an argument between her son and her sister. She says that her sister is the partner of Emmerson Garnett. We spoke with her off-camera today.

Voice of: Mother of Mark Avilez

“I nuh the get no justice from the police. I gone dah the police station this morning and they told me the young lady wanted but I didn’t see no wanted picture up there. I nuh really like how the young man get charge for assault. I would want him to get charged for attempted murder because he had a sewerage, and he dropped the sewerage and hit my son with that. When I see that video and I put that on, I hurry cut it off and cry. And it hurts me for my own family to do something like this for me.”

Paul Lopez

“Mark was clearly in fear from the moment he saw him.”

Voice of: Mother of Mark Avilez

“When Mark saw him step in the house Mark get frightened because it was two of them and he never know what they up to. But I want them pick up the girlfriend because she set this up.”

Paul Lopez

“Why would you say the girlfriend set it up?”

Voice of: Mother of Mark Avilez

“Because she text him and told him to please bring food for ah. And, my son say something when they step in, dah this you mek I come to. I really want something done about this. I really want talk to the commissioner , I want to speak to him because the officers are not doing their job right and I will not stop push until I get justice.”

Minister of Tourism Supports Reinstatement of Minister of Blue Economy

Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler is supporting the reinstatement of his cabinet colleague, Andre Perez. Minister Mahler, like the other Cabinet ministers we have interviewed to date on the reinstatement, pointed to the fact that no formal complaint has been made against Perez. Perez was accused of sexual misconduct by attorney Wendy Auxillou, who says she does not need to make an official police report.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“Minister Perez and I share a very close relationship in Cabinet and outside. I go to San Pedro, and we strategize. We have some major projects on the way for improving the project in San Pedro and we will begin to launch those projects. But there has been no formal report or anything like that. And I support the decision by the prime minister to bring back Minister Perez to the Cabinet.”

Who is Best Qualified to Be Appointed as New Belize City Administrator?

Last night, we told you that the Belize City Council is still without a city administrator. The post became vacant following the unfortunate and untimely passing of former city administrator Stephanie Lindo-Garbutt. Reports indicate that at least three applications have been submitted. According to reports, among the applicants are former city councillor Albert Vaughn and the Party’s Secretary General Linsford Castillo. The move to fill one of the most powerful seats in the city appears to be causing some tension. A group of six recently elected councillors wrote and signed a letter to Mayor Bernard Wagner saying that they wanted to be a part of the decision-making process. In their letter, the councillors noted that a suitable, qualified person must be appointed to the post of city administrator. Mayor Wagner responded in writing, denying the request. Further reports indicate that there is a rift at the central government level between Ministers Francis Fonseca and Anthony Mahler over which candidate is best qualified for the position. Today, we asked Minister Mahler about it. Here is what he told us.

Anthony Mahler, Area Representative, Pickstock

“I would just hope that the city council selects the most qualified person. That is the most important management position in the council. That position drives everything for the council. That person should have the highest level of integrity. Capacity is very important, and I will stress, capacity is very important. So, we will see where it goes from there.”

Paul Lopez

“Do you have someone you favor for this position?”

Anthony Mahler

“No, I just want them to make the right decision.”

Paul Lopez

“Has the city administrator decision created any sort of rift between you and Minister Fonseca?”

Anthony Mahler

“No, actually I was a pleasant presentation yesterday in Belmopan. If you could go on his Facebook, you could see it. We had lunch together. WE had some good discussions with ambassadors from across the world and they play an important role in getting Belize out there as well. So it is a continued partnership and that is that.”

Canada Issues Safety Travel Advisory for Belize

The Canadian government is warning its nationals to exercise a high degree of caution when travelling to Belize. The advisory notes that there are high levels of crime throughout the country and that travellers should avoid non-essential travel to southside Belize City. This is due to gang and drug-related violence, including murders and shootings. The advisory highlights the recently declared state of emergency in Belize City and the Cayo district. Today, we asked Tourism Minister Anthony Mahler about the advisory and his message to Canadian travellers.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“We take it seriously and we are in constant dialogue with our PR agency in Canada. WE had a discussion in Cabinet about the state of emergency, what it means, and how we can minimize the negative impacts it has on our industry. And so, we are talking about it. I think the state of emergency is a last resort by the government and so when we had to utilize that It was to contain the violence that happens here in Belize city and other parts of the country, but it is important for us to be able to properly articulate what we are doing, to our partners internationally, because they are not here. They don’t understand that it is only in a small piece of real estate that the violence is happening, not in any of major tourism destinations. So, we have to do a better job in terms of advising them.”

Paul Lopez

“So, with that, what do you say to Canadian travelers?”

Anthony Mahler

“Come to Belize, it is safe.”

BTB’s B.O.O.M ( Building on Our Momentum)

Tourism stakeholders gathered in Belize City today for B.T.B.’s BOOM Forum. The event featured a wide range of speakers, including local and international experts on tourism. It is organized to update stakeholders on the marketing strategies the Belize Tourism Board is employing to attract visitors. The forum is also used to disseminate information on emerging tourism products. Stakeholders often leave with a greater understanding of why people are travelling and what they are looking for. News Five’s Paul Lopez reports.

Paul Lopez, Reporting

The worlds of emerging technology and emerging tourist destinations are colliding through virtual reality headsets. Meridian Treehouse is behind this technological tool being used in the United States to promote Belize to potential visitors through virtual immersion.

Wesley Della Volla, Meridian Treehouse

“Today we had the prime example of it, we have someone who came in and she went diving with us and our VR and said, I have never been diving before, and now I want to. That’s the great thing about virtual reality, your brain thinks that it is a memory. So your brain thinks and processes VR differently than you would just sit and watch a video. So, your brains remember it as a memory and thinks it is something you have done. You say, ok this is something I have done before, and I can do it again. So, it great for tourism, a way to get people to come see a country, like Belize. Perfect example was right there, great I have seen the coral reef, a little bit of it, I want to go see more of it.”

Attendees of the Belize Tourism Board’s BOOM Forum received a firsthand experience of what potential Belize City for tourism stakeholders from across the country. The Minister of Tourism, Anthony Mahler, told us more.

Anthony Mahler, Minister of Tourism

“This is what we call BOOM, building on our momentum and it is just to keep the private sector and Belize informed of what we are doing, in terms of marketing and in some instances product development. January was a very strong month, February was a breaking month and for the first time in history we did over sixty thousand in March, close to seventy thousand. And those are very strong numbers compared to the bench mark which is 2019. That is about almost eighteen percent over that. Our main strategy was to build a strong airlift into the country. We have worked tirelessly with the private sector to ensure we make noise all across the world and to ensure we focus on our key source market specifically and we have worked in partnership with the private sector to have these numbers.”

According to statistics, approximately eighty-six percent of the U.S. population says they intend to travel this year. Fifty-nine percent of the population, or more than one hundred and fifty million Americans, will travel abroad. The Belize Tourism Board is partnering with The Zimmerman Agency to attract some of those travellers to Belize.

Cole Zimmerman, Senior Vice President, The Zimmerman Agency

“We are a three sixty agency, we do anything from the website to marketing efforts, to research, to PR to social media, to media buying. We are a one stop shop for Belize and it really helps because we don’t have to talk to other agencies about what we are doing. We collaborate together with the BTB and Belize in general. Our effort is to get people from the United States to Belize by any means necessary. But, we have a very strategic approach utilizing research and data to help us narrow down our audience, all the way down the down to the zip code. Some top things the U.S market really likes about Belize is the fact that it is the only market in the Central America that speaks English as a main language, as well as the U.S dollar. So just some key points, outside the people and the beautiful destination that make it simple to get here.”

And, as Belize’s tourism products continue to improve and attract visitors from across the world, Minister Mahler says it is not lost on him that there is a lot more work to do as an emerging destination.

Anthony Mahler

“We are still an emerging destination, so improvements to the airport is important, improvement to the infrastructure is important. We need more electricity on San Pedro. WE need more water on Placencia Peninsula and we need more amenities at the attractions and those are the things we ar3e working on as well. But, we have high end products, middle income products and products for people at the lower end of the spectrum and so we have something for everyone.”

Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Lindbert Flowers was Murdered

Police confirmed today that fifty-nine-year-old Linbert Flowers was murdered. He was stabbed to death by another man on Monday morning in Belize City. At the time, police were not sure how Flowers died. But, subsequent investigations revealed that he had been stabbed several times over an affair he was having with a woman.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police
“We have sent the statements and what we have to the DPP. The DPPs are waiting the postmortem examination. We have confirmed that he was stabbed by someone inside the house. Another man inside the house. And so based on the evidence that we have at this time, the person, the other man, as well as the lady, were released from custody pending the postmortem, at which time the DPP will be able to give us a statement a definitive answer if we’re going to charge and if yes, what the charge is going to be.”