2025 - Greater Belize Media

Comisionado confirma que video en TikTok provocó doble asesinato

El comisionado de policía Dr. Richard Rosado confirmó este lunes que una transmisión en vivo realizada en TikTok jugó un papel determinante en el brutal asesinato de Evadnie Jones y su hijo discapacitado Luke, ocurrido el viernes en la ciudad de Belize.

Rosado habló con la prensa desde el lugar del crimen, frente a la casa de las víctimas en la calle Cedar, donde explicó que la publicación en redes sociales intensificó una ya tensa disputa entre pandillas rivales. Según detalló, la policía ya había comenzado a monitorear el conflicto antes de que escalara.

“Nuestra investigación también reveló que pudo haber sido resultado del aumento de tensiones entre pandillas rivales. Creemos que pudo originarse a partir de una transmisión en vivo en redes sociales, en la que un miembro de un grupo lanzó amenazas y provocaciones a un rival, lo que escaló hasta que dos familiares de esa persona fueron asesinados a tiros”, explicó Rosado.

Agregó que varias unidades policiales estaban involucradas en labores de inteligencia antes del ataque. “Nuestro personal del Unidad de Inteligencia de Pandillas, Investigación e Interdicción y de la rama especial ya estaban vigilando antes de que la situación escalara rápidamente. Reconocemos que debemos ajustar nuestra estrategia para poder monitorear y prevenir incidentes como este en el futuro.”

El comisionado también destacó los desafíos que enfrentaron para controlar la difusión del video. “Transmitió en vivo, y fue compartido por varias organizaciones e individuos, lo que desencadenó el violento enfrentamiento. Nuestra unidad de cibercrimen trabajó en estrecha colaboración con las plataformas de redes sociales. Estuvimos monitoreándolos, identificándolos y eliminando los videos. Pero reconocemos los desafíos persistentes, ya que a medida que eliminábamos uno, alguien más lo volvía a compartir.”

La policía continúa investigando el caso mientras busca reforzar su monitoreo de contenido en redes sociales para evitar futuras tragedias.

Brutal doble asesinato sacude a la ciudad de Belize

Una madre de 69 años y su hijo discapacitado fueron asesinados a tiros en el patio de su casa en la ciudad de Belize, en un acto que ha conmocionado profundamente a la comunidad. Las víctimas, Evadnie Jones y su hijo Luke, fueron emboscados el viernes por la noche, pero sus cuerpos no fueron descubiertos por la policía sino hasta casi veinte horas después.

Héctor “Primo”, amigo cercano de Luke, relató que aún no puede asimilar lo ocurrido. “Todavía no lo podemos creer. Cerré la tienda el viernes por la noche y mandé a Luke a su casa. Al día siguiente, mi jefe me contó lo sucedido, que era Luke. Nos quedamos impactados porque él siempre pasaba por aquí los sábados, casi a la misma hora, todas las semanas. Cuando no apareció, supimos que algo andaba mal. El solo faltaba cuando el clima estaba malo. Nos sorprendió; nunca hubiéramos imaginado que sería él”, dijo.

Luke era ampliamente conocido en el vecindario y querido por todos. No representaba amenaza alguna, lo que ha intensificado el dolor e indignación por su muerte.

Kenneth “Big Tom” Flowers, exvecino de la familia, expresó su consternación: “Hay que recordar que todos los niños están destrozados. Esto sucedió porque alguien de un lado tiene un problema con alguien del otro lado, y la familia de esa persona vive justo al lado de ellos. Las personas a su alrededor deberían haber intervenido, deberían haberles dicho que lo pensaran dos veces antes de hacer algo como esto. Esa madre no tenía nada que ver con la violencia, y Lukey tampoco. Era discapacitado desde el día en que nació, era inocente”.

El doble homicidio ocurrió horas después de que Patrick “Pato” Jones, hijo de Evadnie y hermano de Luke, hiciera una transmisión en vivo en TikTok en la que desafió a sus rivales y mencionó a su madre. Esto ha generado preocupación de que el video haya incitado una mortal retaliación.

El comisionado de policía, Dr. Richard Rosado, aseguró que la policía está dedicada a resolver el caso. “Estamos siguiendo pistas sólidas, y tenemos personas de interés que no quiero revelar quienes son para proteger la integridad de la investigación. Hemos desplegado todos los recursos de investigación disponibles, y nuestros investigadores están en el área recopilando meticulosamente material de evidencia para que podamos identificar y llevar al culpable ante la justicia”, afirmó.

La investigación continúa mientras la ciudad sigue de luto.

Immigration Charges Against Businessman Nelson Gomez Dismissed

All fourteen immigration charges against San Pedro businessman Nelson Raynaldo Gomez have been dismissed after a magistrate upheld a no-case submission in court on Thursday.

Gomez, 38, owner of VIP Bar in the Emerald area of San Pedro Town, had been accused of employing 14 undocumented Honduran women without valid work permits. The charges stemmed from a joint police and immigration raid on his establishment, during which the women were detained.

The case was handed over to the Immigration Department, which later charged Gomez with 14 counts of employing persons without permits.

The court found that the prosecution failed to present sufficient evidence to prove the women were working at the bar.

His business had remained closed following the raid and the revocation of his trade licence.

Belize Coast Guard Officer Honoured for Completing UK Defence Course

Lieutenant Commander Freddie Ku of the Belize Coast Guard has successfully completed the Advanced Command and Staff Course at the UK Defence Academy and earned a Master of Arts in Defence Studies from King’s College London.

The Belize High Commission in London shared the achievement on social media, saying, “So very proud of Lieutenant Commander Freddie Ku… It was our pleasure to support Lieutenant Commander Ku and his family during their time in the UK… We are grateful for the ongoing support of the United Kingdom in strengthening our national defence system.”

The Belize Coast Guard also celebrated the milestone, stating, “A proud Coast Guard moment… He has met all requirements for a Masters of Arts Degree in Defence Studies from Kings College London with a remarkable A on his research paper.”

The eleven-month ACSC is the UK’s flagship military course, hosted by the Joint Services Command and Staff College. It trains UK military officers, civil servants, and international participants from over 50 armed forces worldwide to address future defence and security challenges.

Man Crushed While Working on Work Truck in Belize City

A tragic accident in Belize City has left a family grieving and a community in shock. This afternoon, what started as routine truck maintenance turned deadly for forty-one-year-old Nuridim Mariano. He was working on his vehicle outside a mechanic shop in the Jimmy Dyer area when a freak accident claimed his life. According to reports, Mariano was standing in front of his truck, parked just behind another, when he asked someone to start the engine. But the truck was in gear, and it lurched forward, pinning him between the two vehicles. Despite quick efforts to reverse and free him, it was too late. Mariano died on the scene. His family rushed to the area moments after the incident. News Five spoke with his aunt, Wilma Thompson-Wiley, who shared heartfelt memories of her nephew.

Voice of: Wilma Thompson-Wiley, Aunt of Deceased

“Mein he was an all arounder. Master of none, but he got everything going. Everyrting he put his hands on. He was crack of all trade, master of none. Very friendly, when you see him you see his teeth and he use to run jokes. He give you life when you sad. He bring so much life and he is all about his family and friends. He was a good person, a respectable. He was about mommy and yes mam and he loved his family. We pack up, me and my daughter we rush out and I came out on my cycle. Just like bad luck my cycle chain just came off. So my granddaughter brought us in the car. We cant miss this moment for nothing. Nuh somebody like riddim. He was mannerly, cheerful, respectful, no matter what, he always look after the needy, if you nuh have and he have, he wah share.”

Driver Charged After Crash Kills Father, Son on Highway

A tragic accident on the Philip Goldson Highway has led to serious charges for a Double Head Cabbage resident. Tonight, thirty-nine-year-old Melvin Ashburn Harris is out on bail after being arraigned in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court for a deadly collision that claimed the lives of a father and son from Biscayne Village. The crash happened Tuesday evening between Miles twenty-eight and twenty-nine. Police say Harris was behind the wheel of a white Hino truck when he swerved to avoid potholes, only to collide with a motorcycle carrying Josue and Felipe Solis. Both men suffered severe injuries and were later pronounced dead at the hospital. Harris is now facing five traffic-related charges, including two counts of manslaughter by negligence. He appeared in court this morning with his attorneys and was granted bail under strict conditions, including staying away from the victims’ family.

Housekeeper Charged After Alleged Jewelry Heist on First Day

On Wednesday, we shared the story of Florina Arzu, proprietor of Flo’s Pristine Service, a cleaning company she started a few years ago. Arzu explained to News Five that an employee of hers was wanted for the theft of jewelry and cash from one of her clients. Tonight, twenty-six-year-old Samara Moody, a housekeeper from Ladyville, is facing serious charges after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in jewelry and cash from her employer during her first day on the job. She appeared in Belize City Magistrate’s Court today and was charged with burglary with intent to steal. She pleaded not guilty and was granted bail of two thousand dollars under strict conditions, including staying at least one hundred yards away from the complainant, Abigail Moguel, and checking in weekly at the Ladyville Police Station. The alleged incident took place on June twentieth, 2025, at Moguel’s Buttonwood Bay home. According to police, Moody was hired to clean the house but was instructed not to enter the master walk-in closet. Later that day, Moguel discovered the closet had been cleaned and several high-value items were missing, including gold jewelry, designer watches, and seven hundred dollars in cash. Police say there was no sign of forced entry, and surveillance footage showed only Moody, and the homeowners were present. A wanted poster was issued, and Moody later turned herself in to Ladyville Police on July eight. During a recorded interview, police say she admitted to taking the items. Moody is due back in court on September fourth, 2025.

Defense Attorneys Warn of Power Overreach

A proposed change to the Constitution is stirring up serious debate and it’s all about how far the government should go to fight crime. The Thirteenth Amendment Bill would give the state sweeping new powers to declare ‘special areas’, zones where police could search, seize, and arrest without a warrant, all in the name of public safety. It also proposes a new Gun and Gang Court and aims to retroactively validate past states of emergency, including those already challenged in court. Supporters, including Commissioner of Police Doctor Richard Rosado, say it’s a bold step to tackle rising crime. But not everyone’s on board, especially the Belize Association of Defense Attorneys, who say this goes way too far. In a strongly worded letter to the National Assembly, they warn that the bill could erode civil liberties, weaken democracy, and give too much unchecked power to the government.

Audrey Matura, Attorney-at-law

“Well we object to it for several reasons, definitely the legal reasons. But I also object to it for the humanitarian and social reasons. As that bill is, it gives too much power to whoever is in government and it’s extending the police’s power and in addition, it is saying that they can create auxiliary forces. Auxiliary forces may be people not properly trained to deal with civilians in times of crisis, or, it can be ex-military people who are trained to kill, which is a different kind of training that they get. So I don’t think it is well thought out. Even more violating is the fact that it is being made retroactive. So what has happened, in case people weren’t following up, there were some Belizeans who took the government to court because of the previous SOE’s. The states of emergency that were locking down people for three months, without any trial, without any access to attorneys, without any due process. So imagine, there were men who were locked up every three months, every three months and some people went up to twelve months being locked up every minute. They went to court and won the case.”

Defense Attorneys Warn of Legal Crisis Over Emergency Powers

The Association of Defense Attorneys is also raising objections to a clause that would retroactively validate past states of emergency, even those already challenged in court. According to the association, this move could undermine the rule of law and set a troubling precedent. And then there’s the proposed Gun and Gang Court. While the idea of a specialized court sounds promising, the attorneys say it lacks clear safeguards to ensure fairness and independence.

Audrey Matura, Attorney-at-law

“Now, the danger with that is that once you entrench it in the constitution, what you are trying to do is take away rights that you already have, civil rights that people have and taking it away in a different way. So you are saying that the very constitution I would have been able to go to enforce my right is now making it unlawful for me to enforce that right. That’s one of the dangers of it. The second danger is that, well, this government is a super government because they need two-thirds majority to be able to do that and they do have that. The third thing is that we have a non-existent opposition fighting with themselves, and so they can’t even come forward and say let us fight for the people. We have already gone through a similar situation like this, but I would say this one is worse. What is happening [is that] individuals in this country have taken the Johnny Briceño administration to court for things that were done by the Dean Barrow administration because the SOEs started with the Dean Barrow administration. And so, what they did, they are now saying, “You all took us to court for something illegal we did, well we will now make it legal, but we will not pass a law like Dean Barrow did, we will go and tamper with the constitution. And the reason they are able to do that is because they have the majority, the super majority. So that’s the hypocrisy in it. And why I say it is worse is because Dean Barrow only tried to pass a law. What Johnny Briceno is doing is trying to change the constitution.”

Prime Minister Breaks Silence on Thirteenth Amendment

Late this evening, News Five caught up with Prime Minister John Briceño at an event right here in Belize City. With the controversial Thirteenth Amendment Bill stirring debate across the country, we asked the PM to weigh in. His response? Direct and telling. Here’s what he had to say.

Prime Minister John Briceño

“I could understand the concern from everybody else. If these other legal scholars can show us how it can be done differently, we’re prepared to take a look. But the problem is that we have a serious problem with crime and it’s something that requires the attention and the cooperation and the work of everybody, not only the police, as the government, but also the public. And as much as we’ve been doing everything we can to try to stop these killings, these mostly young men, they don’t seem to get it. And what’s even worse, is that when they would go in a public space and just spray bullets and then innocent people get hurt. So we have to do everything possible to stop them.”