Breaking News: Police Officer shoots one of his own

Sometime after 3 am gun shots broke the still of night. Neighbors claim to have heard up to eight shots and as dawn broke in San Pedro Town reports pouring into our offices state that police corporal Gavin Sanchez, detached to the San Pedro Police Department had lost his life after being fatally wounded by one of his own.

Witnesses report to have seen Corporal Sanchez frequenting one of the local island bars until late at night. Sergeant Paulino Reyes, also of the San Pedro Police Department arrived at the bar’s beachfront location where he met up with Corporal Sanchez. Witnesses claim that Sergeant Reyes was accompanied by two Belize Defense Force soldiers. It is unknown and there are many speculations as to what might have transpired but Corporal Sanchez reportedly intoxicated was transported to the Police Department where he was relieved of his firearm.

Sergeant Paulino Reyes

Reports from officials close to the investigation reveal that the incident unfolded at the police barracks behind the police department. Corporal Sanchez allegedly aggressed Sergeant Reyes who realizing that the corporal was armed opened fire.

Corporal Sanchez, after being shot, fell where he stood in the hallway inside the barracks. Director of the San Pedro Polyclinic Dr. Javier Zuniga pronounced him dead at 3:30 a.m. with the fatal bullet wound being inflicted to Sanchez’s forehead. Police officials have remained tightlipped about the incident but a press conference will be held this afternoon at 2:00 p.m. on the island.

BDF, Police officer and civilian remanded to Hattieville for kidnapping

At approximately 10:15 a.m. today, Judge Emerson Banner remanded Derrick Gideon, Juan Cus and Justin Cassimiro to Hattieville as a result of charges laid upon them in connection to an incident which took place on Sunday, February 21st in San Pedro Town.An official police report states that on Sunday, approximately between the hours of 12:15 and 1:00 a.m. Gideon, a police officer stationed in Belize City, Cassimiro, a Belize Defense Force soldier stationed on San Pedro Town and civilian Juan Cus visited Juan Perez, a vegetable vendor, who was sleeping in his boat docked by the Old Football Field. According to the report, both officials, who at the time were dressed in civilian clothing, arrived with Cus and explained to Perez that they needed to transport him to the San Pedro Police Department. The three men who were armed with a firearm proceeded to hurt Perez’s assistant, a minor, who was on the boat with him at the time. Perez agreed to go with the officers. However, the report alleges that he was being taken in the opposite direction and not to the Police Department as the officers had stated. Perez was robbed of $650 before managing to escape. Once free, Perez made a report at the Police Department. The report led to the detention of the three men who were arraigned at the San Pedro Magistrate’s Court.The three men were jointly charged for kidnapping, aggravated burglary, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and harm. Because kidnapping charges are dealt in the Supreme Court level, all three were remanded to Hattieville Prison until their next court appearance on April 7th, 2010. Gideon was additionally charged for resisting arrest.

Robbery leaves two injured

The San Pedro Sun has confirmed with San Pedro Police that at least two persons received gunshot wounds following an armed hold-up on Pearl Street in the San Pablo Area. Sometime between 9:30 and 9:45pm, September 1st, 2009, two masked men stormed into Espinosa's Store and held up shop attendant, Juan Jose Lopez and security guard Alvaro Ramos.

Alvaro Ramos

Juan Jose Lopez

According to an eyewitness, who was in the general building at the time, a struggle ensued during the hold up and several shots were fired. As a result, Lopez was shot in the face, while Ramos was shot in the back. He is listed in a critical condition, whilst Lopez has been pronounced in stable condition.
Both men were airlifted to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) around 11:30pm for further treatment. No-one has been arrested, but Police have launched an intensive search in the general area, and residents are being questioned.

Shooting on Swan Street grazes two

Two men narrowly escaped more serious injury after they were grazed by bullets following a shooting incident on the island last night. The two people are 18 year old Clifford Galvez and 25 year old Armando Ordez, both of a Swan Street address in San Pedro Town. According to the police, sometime around 9:35 last night, they received information of a shooting incident by "Back-a-town" in the Airstrip Area.

When police arrived at the scene they saw two people suffering from what appeared to be bullet grazes; Galvez was grazed in the upper back and Ordez to his upper left arm. Galvez and Ordez told police that they, with two other persons were sitting on the stairs of the home opposite Stone’s Apartments. While sitting, they noticed a man on a bicycle, described only as being slim and dark skinned, coming from the direction of San Pedrito down Tropical Wave Street. When the man came closer, he pulled out what appeared to be a firearm from around his waist and fired five live rounds towards the four men’s direction. He then made good his escape. As a result of the shooting, both Galvez and Ordez were grazed.

One of the bullets hit the windshield of a golf cart parked on the same street.

Police do not have a clear motive as yet but they strongly suspect that the shooting is in retaliation from an old argument (beef). Police have detained one man for questioning while their investigation continues.