2024-12-12 - Channel 5 Belize

Missing Cousins Found Buried in Shallow Grave in Hattieville

The search for missing cousins Juan Raymundo and Marvin Cante ended in heartbreak as their bodies were found buried in a shallow grave in Hattieville late Wednesday evening, near Dollar Bank Road. For two weeks, family, friends, and community members tirelessly searched for the men, but to no avail. Then, on Wednesday evening, the search took a devastating turn when two bodies were discovered, suspected to be the cousins. This afternoon, those suspicions were tragically confirmed. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with the story.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

It’s been over two weeks since thirty-two-year-old Juan Raymundo and thirty-seven-year-old Marvin Cante were reported missing by their families. On November twenty-eighth, their vehicle was found abandoned near mile twenty-four on the George Price Highway, with the engine still running. Despite a tireless search, today brought the devastating news that the family’s worst fears were realized—their bodies have been found.

On the phone: Elmer Cante, Brother of Deceased

“ The last text that I received from my cousin was at ten forty-nine that he sent a picture of my brother at a mechanic shop. But from there, I sent him a text message later on the day and they didn’t answer none of them. And we were calling and calling and then, I said, well, something is wrong. until the following day i got in touch with police and they told us that they found his vehicle on Mile twenty-four. We searched all over the places that we thought that they were there, but we didn’t get no results. You know the thing is that right now I didn’t have the words to express much to say.”

The bodies were discovered just after five p.m. on Wednesday, but it wasn’t until midday today that the family could confirm their identities.

On the phone: Elmer Cante

“I received a call from a news person. From there I received a call and then they told me that they had found two bodies. Confirmed that they were my brother and my cousin but were but the police no call until afterwards when I start to get some call from police officer that afterwards they have found two bodies and they were not sure if that was them.”

Given where the graves were found, the family feared the worst, suspecting they belonged to their missing loved ones. However, they held onto hope until their identities were officially confirmed.

On the phone: Elmer Cante

“We were there earlier this morning and then we went to the lab and there we recognized that yes, it’s my brother and my cousin.”

The circumstances of the men’s deaths remain a mystery. Amidst their heartbreak, the family is desperately seeking answers about what happened to Raymundo and Cante. Where were they headed, and who did they encounter?

On the phone: Elmer Cante

“That’s a good question. That’s a good question. Because I didn’t knew they were gonna meet someone. I didn’t have any idea.”

Police are investigating whether these murders were drug related. As far as the family is aware, the men were not known to be involved in illicit activities.

On the phone: Elmer Cante

“Not as I know. Because he always he run taxi and he was always there. So far as I know, I don’t believe it was that.”

Cante and his family are pleading to the public to turn over any information to the police that can lead to an arrest.

On the phone: Elmer Cante

“I’m gonna ask the public if they know something, then let me come forward so that we can get justice for my brother and my cousin.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

More Charges for Bogus Car Salesman Melbourne Wade

Melbourne Wade, a former car dealer now claiming to be a salesman for the past two weeks, is in hot water again with the law. He’s facing two more counts of obtaining property by deception. Previously, he was hit with five similar charges for allegedly swindling money from his victims, mostly women, including former Belize City Mayor Zenaida Moya. Wade would promise to put a deposit on a car or rent a vehicle to sell, but he never delivered, taking their money instead. This morning, after being held at the Queen Street Police Station, Wade was brought to the Belize City Magistrate’s Court to answer these new charges. In Court #3, he faced a charge from sixty-two-year-old Shirley Garbutt, who claimed she paid him a five thousand, five hundred downpayment for a 2018 Ford Escape. Wade pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of five thousand dollars. Minutes later, he appeared in Court #2 for another charge from forty-year-old Stacey Hemmans, who alleged she paid him five thousand dollars as a first installment on a rent-to-own agreement for a 2018 Ford Escape. Wade claimed Hemmans wanted to withdraw the charge, but this wasn’t true. The prosecutor objected to bail, citing the strength of the case and Wade’s history of similar charges. Wade, without an attorney, made an emotional plea for bail, saying he had changed his life, just got a job, and needed to care for his son. He begged for leniency, claiming to be his family’s breadwinner and a newly sworn-in campaign manager. Despite the prosecutor’s objections, the Senior Magistrate granted Wade bail with conditions set at three thousand, five hundred dollars. Wade’s next court dates are January seventeenth and January twentieth, 2025.

Accused Rapist Michael Llewellyn Flowers is Out on Bail

When a seventeen-year-old claimed she was raped after partying at Eruption Nightclub, it caused an uproar, especially since she was underage. The incident didn’t happen inside the club but nearby after she left in the early morning hours. The man charged with the rape, Michael Llewelyn Flowers from Ladyville, is out on bail and will face trial on February tenth, 2025. The alleged rape occurred on October twenty-second, 2022. Police investigations revealed that the night before, the seventeen-year-old attended a wake and then went to Eruption Nightclub with a friend. She lost consciousness at the club and woke up the next morning in a vehicle, wearing only her underwear. A concerned neighbor on the Phillip Goldson Highway area alerted the police after seeing a man and a woman walking along the highway and trying to open his gate. The neighbor’s surveillance camera identified the man as Michael Flowers. A medical examination confirmed the rape, leading to Flowers’ charge. During the Case Management Conference, Flowers’ attorney, Ronell Gonzalez, indicated plans to challenge the admissibility of Flowers’ caution statement. Flowers, who is out on a ten-thousand-dollar bail, admitted to having sex with the intoxicated minor after they left the club. Additionally, the owners of Eruption Nightclub, Mirna Estela Portillo and her common-law husband, Hector Choj, were charged with allowing a minor into their establishment. They are both out on one thousand dollars bail each.

Trio Busted with Serious Weed Stash in Orange Walk District

Earlier today, three men were caught with a hefty stash of marijuana in the Orange Walk District. They were driving a pickup truck between Douglas and San Pablo villages when a team of officers, including the Special Patrol Unit, intercepted them. The bust totaled around one hundred and sixty pounds of cannabis. Charges against the suspected drug traffickers are still pending.

Pastor and Son Accused of Kidnapping are Granted Bail

The Belmopan pastor facing multiple serious charges, including aggravated assault, wounding, sexual assault, and kidnapping, has been granted bail by the High Court. Luis Alfredo Tiul Senior and his son, Luis Junior, were arraigned on October twenty-fourth for the kidnapping of Luis Junior’s wife, a case that caused a public outcry in Belmopan. Represented by attorney Hurl Hamilton, the father and son applied for bail, and Justice Derick Sylvester granted Tiul Sr. bail set at $20,000, or two sureties of ten thousand dollars each.

Accident Drive for Cayo Victims Raises 25 Grand in Five Days

In a heartwarming show of community support, one of the fundraisers for the families affected by Saturday night’s tragic accident has already raised over twenty-five thousand dollars. Passy Haylock, the driving force behind the “Just a Dollar Drive,” has wasted no time in distributing the funds to the grieving families. Speaking to News Five, Haylock shared that he felt a deep urge to help. After making an appeal on Facebook, the response was overwhelming in such a short period. He emphasized that this drive is far from over, as the families will continue to face expenses long after their loved ones are laid to rest.

Via Phone: Passy Haylock, Fundraiser

“When I initially made the post, I was like, you know, I don’t want you to feel pressure. In terms of providing like five by like seven, like twenty dollars or fifty dollars or a hundred dollars, just a dollar. And I was basically thinking about the population between the surrounding villages, over twenty thousand people, forty, fifty thousand if you go the villages. And I was like, if we can get donations we can help these families. I didn’t expect it to go so far, because I’ve been reached out from the people from Canada, people out in the U.S., people from England, from Guatemala, so a lot of people are actually reaching out to me, and it’s very, very overwhelming, but it’s for a good cause. And one person asked me, when am I going to end this drive, because it goes on a date that I simply mentioned to the person, but there’s no closing date when it comes to generosity and helping people. Now do factor in that there’s a lot of places throughout the leads that have come up with their own just a dollar. Campaign, and I appreciate them for that, I have a friend that has money when he comes to Zelle, there’s a GoFundMe page, so all of that money hasn’t been accounted for so there are pages in there’s the team one in Benque. I think there’s another and the funny thing is I went to the bank the other day with a big container of coins and quarters, and I didn’t know that you had to roll them yourself. Even that money is not accounted for, but don’t worry, it’s in very good hands, people will get their money.”

Government to Rebuild Benque Road Where Accident Happened

The tragic accident has underscored the urgent need for several measures. Families and friends of the victims are calling for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, tougher penalties for violations, and improved infrastructure on the San Ignacio/Benque road where the incident occurred. Today, Cayo North Area Representative Michel Chebat shared with us that the government has listened to these pleas. He mentioned that some of these measures will be announced as soon as tomorrow at the House Meeting.

Michel Chebat, Area Representative, Cayo North

“I don’t want to preempt our Prime Minister, but I know that he will be at the House Meeting tomorrow. He should be presenting some of the changes that we can see happening. But let’s step back for a moment. I know you referred to 2019. The Benque Viejo Road, as we call it, where this accident actually happened, is just being rebuilt. It is in the process of being rebuilt. It has not been completed and so a lot of what we need on that road have not yet been put in. The dividers, the reflectors, the signs, all of those are going to come. But unfortunately, that road is not yet completed. That is on the one side. On the other side, Marion, I think as drivers, we too have to take responsibility for our actions, and I think some education. People are calling for driver education, which I think would be very helpful to make sure that when people get their driver’s license, they actually do both the manual and the written exam so that they understand the rules of the road and so forth. Certainly, I can tell you that next week, Thursday, we are going to be breaking ground for the Contiki community police station, which is in that vicinity. And I think that that is very timely because with the formal opening of the Benque Road, the Benque Highway, the police will now have closer access to that road. It means that they’ll be able to put up more patrols in the night. They’re going to be able to put up more police stops. And they’re going to have a greater presence in that area. And certainly, it’s going to give them a faster reaction time in the event of any accidents.”

Ocean Academy Student to Undergo Spinal Surgery Tomorrow

While the Cayo community has come together to support the families of the traffic accident victims, over in Caye Caulker, there’s another heartfelt fundraising effort underway. This time, it’s for the Ocean Academy High School basketball team members who were injured in an accident two Fridays ago. The tragic incident in Orange Walk claimed the life of seventeen-year-old Alex Bainton and left many others injured. However, there’s a glimmer of hope as one of the severely injured students, Gilbert Tec Junior, is showing signs of improvement. Although he’s still in a coma, reports indicate positive signs of recovery with upper body movements. Gilbert, who also suffered a severe spinal injury, and another student need surgery and intensive care. Fundraiser Lee Vanderwalker shared that while the teacher involved has already undergone surgery, the road to recovery for the students is still ongoing.

Via Phone: Lee Vanderwalker, Organizer, Fundraising Drive

“ We got the teacher to Guatemala City, he had his surgery and he’s recovering now. It’s going to be a long road for him. One of the students that originally they thought he only had a broken foot, it turns out he has like a fractured vertebrae in his spine, so he’s been accepted by the Shriners Hospital in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and while that’s an awesome thing, his parent that goes with him still has a lot of costs that has to be borne. And so, essentially, the remainder of the funds that I had raised is going towards that three to six month-trip for – the young man’s name is Javon – and for his father to go and be with him while he has spinal surgery so that he can regain mobility. Right now, he has a cast on his foot and he’s in a very serious back brace that he cannot take off. One of the reasons why Gilly’s family is really too busy to talk right now is that he’s not really come out of the coma. However, they do believe he will, and they’re scheduling surgery on his femur. So that he’ll get his femur repaired tomorrow. And then in the meantime, they’re working on getting him accepted into a treatment program in the U.S. through another one of those hospitals that accepts foreign patients, but then it’s also going to be the issue of which parent goes with him. They’re going to have their expenses to bear also. So, the fundraising is ongoing and it’s going to be ongoing for a while.”

A Special Christmas Party from Belize Bank to Stella Maris Children

Today, the kids from Stella Maris School in Belize City had a blast at the Belize Bank’s Annual Christmas party. This heartwarming tradition, started over a decade ago, celebrates the children’s perseverance despite their physical challenges. The party was packed with fun activities to spread the holiday cheer. Held at the Hub on Chetumal Street, News Five’s Marion Ali dropped by to capture the festive spirit and filed this report.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Today was anything but a regular school day for one hundred and twenty-eight kids at Stella Maris School. They got to enjoy a festive Christmas party, a beloved tradition started by Belize Bank fifteen years ago. This event was more than just food, gifts, and music. Belize Bank’s Executive Chairman, Filippo Alario, shared that the staff truly cherishes the joy they bring to these children.

Filippo Alario, Executive Chairman, Belize Bank

“Our staff look at this time as one of those joyous times. They give their time, their effort. They wrapped, I think, over 140 gifts, so we’ve been working for, uh, for a few days and getting everything ready. We have a 360, which apparently is the key part of today. Everybody loves the 360-video thing. We have Jumpy Castles; we eat with the kids. It’s just one of those things that give us tremendous joy to be able to, to share with these amazing kids.”

Sheree Salgado, a teacher at Stella Maris, told News Five that the school appreciates what Belize Bank has been doing to make the children’s Christmas brighter every year.

Sheree Salgado, Teacher, Stella Maris School

“We know the background of these children. We know that some of them might not get a gift. Some of them might not. Uh, a proper meal for the Christmas. So, yeah, we’re grateful. Every year Belize Bank is trying to do a twist on it. This year, they have, um, the popcorn machine, the phones machine, and some bouncy balls. Also, they are also enjoying, not only the students, but the teachers are also enjoying the treats that the teacher is taking today.”

Chairman Alario shared with News Five that the bank’s dedication to this event is deeply rooted in the incredible effort the teachers put into the children’s development. He emphasized that the visible progress and hard work of the teachers inspire the bank’s ongoing commitment to making this Christmas party special.

Filippo Alario

“Stella Maris is an institution that has been doing incredible work for these special kids. Um, I have been coming here for over a decade and I see a lot of these kids grow up and I think that you know what, the specialized care that they give the kids, you can see them growing up happy, trying to be part of the community and it’s just one of those things that give us tremendous joy. This is not about the bank. It’s about us being able to share, being able to give, being able to spend this time together.”

Salgado says it’s a natural bond the teachers have with the children because they spend so many hours each day with the kids. To see them this happy is therapeutic.

Sheree Salgado

“ Our students are with us for five days a week, most for the entire day, and so it becomes our children, so when we see the happiness on these children’s faces, it warms our heart as educators.”

Marion Ali

“Do you dance with them as well?”

Sheree Salgado

“Of course! (Laughs)”

Marion Ali for News Five.

Government Lotteries Earn $36 Million in Sales in 2024

The Belize Government Lotteries raked in nearly six million dollars in profit from December first, 2023, to March thirty-first, 2024. This comes from an independent audit by Moore Belize LLP. The auditors aimed to ensure the financial statements were accurate and free from significant errors or fraud, and to provide their professional opinion in a report. So far in 2024, lottery sales have hit a whopping thirty-six point one million dollars. On the flip side, the company has shelled out twenty-five million, three hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars in prize winnings.