From the surveillance footage, we saw that several people tried to help six-year-old Gabriel Orellano, but he managed to slip away from each one, likely because he didn’t recognize them. When we spoke with Gabriel’s father, Vidal Orellano, he shared that the family is still looking for answers from the school. He believes the institution failed his son.
Voice of: Vidal Orellano
Voice of: Vidal Orellano, Father of Deceased
“Nothing, we nuh get no answers. They nuh tell me nothing about what happen. I still have a lot of questions. I want to know why the gate was opened, why nobody was at the gate watching the gate. Usually somebody is always at the gate. I want to know why they didn’t call the moment they notice my son gone missing, why they didn’t call, my mom, the family. We could have gone to help search and my son would have still been here. But deh wah wait until they find my son passed away and then they called me.”
Paul Lopez
“Is it your understanding that they knew your son was missing for a long period before?”
Voice of: Vidal Orellano
“Dah suh I feel, dah suh I know, because what people is saying is that he was already missing about two hours ago. Why deh never call.”
Paul Lopez
“Do you know how he got out of the school?”
Voice of: Vidal Orellano
“I am hearing he came out from the gate. The gate was wide open and he came out. That is all I know.”
Paul Lopez
“Do you know if that is common practice to have the gate at the school open?”
Voice of: Vidal Orellano
“No, the gate usually closes, because they usually don’t even let me in. At the gate the take my son, let me sign a book and the school warden take him to his class. They don’t even make I go in.”
Paul Lopez
“When you take your kid to a school, you entrust your kid to an institution. Do you believe the school has failed your child?”
Voice of: Vidal Orellano
“Very much, because he lost his life and I don’t have him no more.”
We also spoke with Christy Almeida, the Co-Founder of Autism Belize. She shared her perspective on the tragic events and the heartbreak it has caused for her organization and the staff at Stella Maris. Almeida, who is also the mother of an autistic teenager, expressed deep sorrow over the situation.
Christy Almeida
Christy Almeida, Co-Founder, Autism Belize
“Devastating, I am a mother, as you all know, of a child with autism. I have two great fears in my life. One of them is that I will die before my son, and I don’t know who will take care of him. The other is that he will elope and end up passing away because of an accident. Seventy-one percent of autistic died because of elopement and drowning. This is something that terrifies me. If you watch social media, a lot of my autistic families posted and I was very proud of them to share when they know how difficult this is. But a lot of them posted about this being their greatest fear. My son has eloped a dozen times. I can describe so many of these situations, whether he was with me or his father or different people. My son is alive today because of a village, neighbors, people that came out and helped, somebody that saw him and dropped him back. I have these stories, these are vivid. I am so devastated, for the family, for the Stella Maris community, for the parents, for the ministry because I think this has hit us. All the special ed officers was at Stella Maris until six o’clock last night. And I cant imagine the pain the family is going through. It is unimaginable. It is devastating.”
Almeida explained that autistic children need a lot of attention. She mentioned a study by the University of Wisconsin, which found that parents raising autistic kids often experience stress like the PTSD that war veterans face.
Christy Almeida, Co-founder, Autism Belize
“The university of Wisconsin did a research and they measured the stress levels of mom’s with children with autism. The levels were on par to soldiers who have seen active combat, PTSD level. As they blink the child is doing something else. I remember moving into an apartment building when I was living in Puerto Rico and people was coming and Mateo was standing next to me and then he was standing on the balcony railing and he was standing up with his two feet looking down at the beach below. I stopped all the movers and said I am not living here. I cant do it. And this is a blink of an eye. They will find every corner to slip and you have to understand they don’t get danger. And not only with autism, last year our vice chair of autism Belize, he eloped and they called me in a panic. It took over an hour for them to find him. This is common with our children who are easily distracted, wants to see what is out there and don’t get danger. These are not kids that we can simply teach to look both sides of the road before they cross the street or walk on the other side of the road. These are not kids who just bank hooky. That was not happening here. there is a lot of things that can go around. I am not playing a blame game. I need us to understand that these kids don’t get danger and parents and guardians has to be on a hundred percent, and we still need help.”
Today, fire stations across Belize City were pretty much deserted as firefighters staged a sickout. Except for a few administrative staff, firefighters from several stations on both the north and south sides called in sick, clearly showing their frustration with their working conditions. Recently, many firefighters voiced their concerns about low wages, outdated equipment, and unpaid overtime. But that’s not all. In a letter to Kennedy Carrillo, the C.E.O. of the Ministry of Blue Economy and Disaster Risk Management, the Public Service Union formally requested adjustments to allowances, audits, performance appraisals, and policy consultations. They are calling for special allowances like hazard and danger pay. The letter also demands a financial and inventory audit due to allegations of fund mismanagement and missing assets. The union expects a written response within the next twenty-one days.
A mother and her four children are left homeless tonight after a devastating fire destroyed their home earlier today. Yvette Bernardez was at work when she got the heartbreaking news that her house was on fire. She lost everything in the blaze. To make matters worse, the National Fire Service’s response was disappointing, with only six firefighters showing up due to a sickout by their colleagues. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with the story.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
This morning, a residential fire in Belize City destroyed a small, elevated structure on Neal’s Pen Road Extension. Responders from the National Fire Service, including Station Officer Gladstone Bucknor and Kenyatta Grey, were on the scene, joined by a messenger, a mechanic, and two other firemen. With most of their colleagues calling in sick, this small team was left to tackle the blaze on their own.
Gladstone Bucknor
Gladstone Bucknor, Station Officer, Belize District
“The fire is a three-bedroom, four feet elevation house, eighteen-by-twenty, owned by Yvette Bernardez. She’s a security guard.”
Isani Cayetano
“What can you tell us, preliminarily in terms of what you believe to be the cause of this fire?”
Gladstone Bucknor
“I can’t answer that at the moment. We still have to do some investigation. The guys are mopping up right now, so as soon as they are finished mopping up then we are going to go in and see what would have been the cause of it.”
Isani Cayetano
“In terms of containment, what was the response like and how quickly were you able to get this fire under control?”
Gladstone Bucknor
“When the guys got the call, there’s no other house immediately in the area, as you can literally see, it’s a London bridge to the structure. So there’s no other immediate threat to any other structure around it.”
Yvette Bernardez, thirty-six, was on duty as a security guard when she got the alarming news about the fire. By the time she rushed back home, she found nothing but a pile of rubble where her house once stood.
Yvette Bernardez
Yvette Bernardez, Fire Victim
“When I left this morning for work, after five, I called my children this morning and asked them if everything was good, they got ready for school. My daughter was the last person that I spoke to, every day as she goes to work as she goes to work at Public’s. Every fifteen minutes I spoke with her. She told me, “Mom, everything is good. Today, as I came off the phone with her, I got a call that my house is on fire. I don’t understand, I noh know weh gaan wrong. I don’t know. I try my best and I work. Da just me and my four kids.”
Bucknor and his team worked tirelessly, even though they initially faced challenges with not enough hands on deck and a shortage of water. During today’s sickout, it could have been a real disaster if a fire had broken out somewhere else.
Gladstone Bucknor
“Our mechanics are well versed with the truck so they do as much as they can.”
Reporter
“But you didn’t have firemen with you…”
Gladstone Bucknor
“Well I am a firefighter. This is me and I am second in command. We are firefighters so this what we do. As the officer in charge, we respond to all scenes. If you are asking me if there are other firemen around, you know, with all due respect, all the officers have the right to call in sick.”
Isani Cayetano
“How do you carry out your job effectively amidst this particular situation where you don’t have the kind of manpower? This could have been a bigger fire and you have limited resources, in terms of manpower.
Gladstone Bucknor
“In that case, then we rely on other resources. In that case, then we rely on other resources like the police force or any other personnel who can come in and assist.”
Bernardez said she got the alarming call about the fire just moments after hanging up with her daughter.
Yvette Bernardez
“As I came off the phone with her, I got a call from someone that my house is onfire. I don’t understand. I noh know weh gaan wrong, I noh know. I try my bestand I work, da just me and my four kids. I try my best. I noh know, I noh knowweh fi seh. I done cry wahn lot. But at the end of the day, God strong. He givesme the strength and courage to go on. But I know, I left everything eena fi hehand.”
Residents in the area believe that the fire was sparked by an electrical short.
Marsha Belisle
Marsha Belisle, Resident, Neal Pen Road Ext.
“That is what caused the fire, faulty electrical.”
Isani Cayetano
“So, describe for us either the resident or the people who live at that structure that’s under fire.”
Marsha Belisle
“That is one of my neighbors. I sympathize with her. That lady struggled to build her house on her own, from scratch, you understand. She’s been going through a lot. She’s there with her children and the fire just came and everything’s gone.”
The fire station that was supposed to be built after the Cleghorn Street compound was sold before the 2020 election is now expected to be completed by the end of this year. That’s according to the Minister of Disaster Risk Management, Andre Perez. Perez told News Five that the funds were initially put into a consolidated fund but were used elsewhere. However, he assured that the government is committed to building the station and mentioned that the Fire Department has received new equipment, especially for its ambulance services.
Andre Perez, Minister of Disaster Risk Management
“We have acquired new equipment, especially medical, medical services. The response, rapid response that we have done in the Cayo district and Belmopan as well. That speaks volumes of what direction the fire department is going. In terms of the uniforms, the fire suits, those are very expensive. Uh, we do whatever we can to get as much as possible. This type of uniform that they need because it’s very expensive. So, again, it’s something that it’s always a challenge. But, certainly not in a way that we’re just ignoring it. We’re just doing the very best as possible. I want to share with you as well is the need. And we have, I personally have seen, and I share with the private sector. Is that there is not a need now to really start building that building for the firefighting here in Belize City and the district is much needed. I visited the Marlon Jones complex, and I acknowledge that the firefighters are there left and especially equipment that is left the elements of the weather. These are expensive equipment, so we must maintain them, take care of them. So the urgent need on Chetumal Street where that land is located is to start building that, um, that building. And that’s important. I’ve shared that with the fire department. And I’m going to be talking about the fire department, and the firefighters as well. And I shared it with our Prime Minister over the weekend, discussing the same matter on the fire department. So indeed, a lot has been done. More needs to be done. always. We never deny that.”
Marion Ali
“That building will be built this year?”
Andre Perez
“Well, we’re – remember, and I don’t want to get into that political aspect – remember that the building on playground sheet was sold off. And those funds, of course, went to the consolidated fund. But those funds are allocated to build the building. A portion of that fund was to build a new building. We got into government and that money has disappeared, has been used up. But it’s there, allocated. We just have to go out there and push for it. And that’s what my job as the Minister of Disaster Risk Management. I’ve been actively engaging with our CU and the entire ministry at this time. And if we’re hearing right now to sit down with the firefighters, we need to understand that they have a safe place and a comfort where they work.”
There have been no arrests yet for the shooting death of thirty-nine-year-old Brandon Baptist, who was killed at the Marion Jones complex. The incident happened last Friday evening during a football match after a dispute between two groups. According to police, Baptist was shot after he got up and went to a section of the bleachers where others were seated. He reportedly pulled out a gun, and someone shot him. A struggle ensued, and he was thrown over the bleachers to the ground below, where he died. Today, Baptist’s friend, Karl Augustine, told News Five that he will continue the project they had started together in the Lake Independence area. They had launched an electrical program for ten youths to keep them engaged during the summer break. Augustine mentioned that while he and Baptist lived very different lives, they shared a common goal with the project.
Karl Augustine
Karl Augustine, Friend of Deceased
“My plan and motive is to still continue the program. I don’t want to make this discourage me. You know, I also use this as a motivation to continue because, you know, this is really important to me and Mr. Baptist, you know, because we are both two persons from different lifestyles. We grew up together, but we choose different lifestyles, you know. You choose the lifestyle you live. I choose my lifestyle and the life I live. I choose to be a public officer. My goal was to always get the civil authority, maintain law and order and defend my country from internal and external threats. And one of the things as public officers, you know, we work for the public, to help people, when people do wrong, I think we explain to them. You flag them. When I say flag them, I mean stop them and you explain to them when something wrong, and you educate people.”
Radio continues to be a key medium for news, public announcements, information, and entertainment in Belize. Even though the internet and online broadcasting have gained popularity, radio still has a loyal audience. In this week’s edition of Kolcha Tuesday, we spotlight three radio personalities. Two have transitioned to other media, while one has been a staple on the airwaves for an impressive thirty-one years. News Five’s Marion Ali brings us their stories.
Marion Ali, Reporting
The iconic intro that signaled the start of the 12:30 radio newscast every afternoon is something many people from the 1980s and 90s remember fondly. The Broadcasting Corporation of Belize, which ran Radio Belize and Friends FM, was a government-operated station that closed its doors in 1998. By then, two private stations, KREM and Love FM, had already made their mark, with KREM being the first privately-owned station. Although Albert Anthony Wright, better known as Tony Wright, has since moved on from KREM FM, he’s still a beloved figure in the entertainment scene, spinning your favorite Belizean tunes that celebrate our rich cultural heritage. Tony shared that it was this very music that first drew him to radio decades ago. His big break as an announcer came after the release of his second album.
Tony Wright
Tony Wright, Former Radio Announcer, Krem FM
“ My first time really there on radio. And that was back in 1995. Actually we start there, the show the 3rd of February.”
Marion Ali
The show’s name is –
Tony Wright
“Belizean Musicians Past and Present and we started that the 3rd of February and then the 10th of February, this was where we first get the first and guests really. And the show take off from there. Then I created Belizean beat. And then, um, the following year, they wanted something for the Christmas, a Christmas program. And so they call me up and they say, Well, what are you doing? You have a show, you got two hours, you know, and the radio, and so do a show, and so we do. I begin Saturday morning special.”
Wright now hosts his own show, the Saturday Morning Special, on his Facebook page every Saturday from 9:30 AM to noon. George Tillett, now a well-known videographer with News Five, started his career back in 1980 as a technician for the now-defunct Radio Belize. He was responsible for servicing and managing the transmitting sites. When Friends FM launched, George joined their maintenance team. He recalls that the training and equipment back then were worlds apart from what we have today—like night and day.
George Tillett
George Tillett, Former Technician, Broadcasting Corporation of Belize
“I was a part of the maintenance team, servicing, oh, you can name it, the tape recorders, it was cassette recorders. You have, um, reel to reel. You have, um, amplifiers and turntables, you know, that play the thirty-three and a half and forty five records. What I was trained to do back then, is, I would be lost right now, if I, if I ever try to repair anything that is modern.”
We caught up with Lisa Kerr, better known as Lisa Love, broadcasting live from her home today. After nearly thirty-one years, she’s still a beloved host at Krem Radio. Lisa’s journey into radio began while she was working as an overnight dispatcher at another company.
Lisa Love
Lisa Love, Radio Announcer, Krem FM
“ We were not allowed to have radios for destruction. We were supposed to be focused and I took in a little radio to keep me company when my guys are not calling in to give their report. So I had my little radio there and sometimes at 5 a. m. somebody would be on Krem Radio and sometimes nobody would be on Krem Radio. So there was a morning JC was on, so I called the station and I said, you know, how come somebody’s there sometimes and then Um, there are other times nobody is there and the music you guys play are very good. I like the music. It’s music that I grew up on. And he said, well the person, the late Sweets the Lord Bennet, was the one who had the ship at the time. And Sweets was not too well all the time. So, JC was like, why, you want it? I’m like, okay.”
As George and Tony Wright mentioned, the transition over time has been remarkable, thanks to advancements in technology.
George Tillett
“All mistakes you have to cut and paste. And this was time consuming to get it ready for a broadcast. You know, and the next thing, it was the same thing with cassettes. You have to find that spot that was that was a bad, sometimes the, the tape would chew up, you know, and you have to, you have to splice the tape, join them, and it would take a while, you know to get it ready for that broadcast.”
Tony Wright
“1981 was when I did my really first recording, and that was a read of the years. I did a, I did a, um, song about independence. We were just getting our independence, and I did that at Redo Belize. But at the time, they were recording this thing. I’m so big, real, whatever it is. So, we did the recording.”
Lisa Love shared that now, as the one in charge of the music and program planning, she continues to play the same beloved cultural tunes. She also makes sure to highlight the unique aspects of the different parts of the country she broadcasts from.
Lisa Love
“ If we go to Dangriga, we highlight Dangriga. We go to Fiji, we highlight the culture. We do our research, do what we need to do, and we broadcast that. If we, I mean, we could be in Hattieville doing something. You would know about Hattieville. We go to Crooked Tree each year, Cashew Fest. You know about Crooked Tree, Cashew Fest.”
Earlier today, used-car dealers temporarily blocked the northern border crossing, claiming that a proposed regulation will drive them out of business. The regulation, which isn’t new, would value used cars from the U.S. at the ‘transaction value’ which is the actual price paid for the vehicles when they are sold for export to the importing country. This price includes any adjustments for certain elements, such as discounts or additional charges, and is usually shown on the invoice. This, as opposed to the new residual or book value, which dealers contend would make the cars much more expensive. The traders believe that this rule is meant to protect new car dealers. We’ll have more from the Customs Department in our subsequent newscast.
Just one month into the new year, Belizeans are gearing up for the 2025 elections. Although the official date hasn’t been announced, members of the People’s United Party (P.U.P.), including Prime Minister John Briceño, have hinted at an early date. As the P.U.P.’s current administration winds down, it’s a good time to reflect on the promises made in their Plan Belize Manifesto. Section three of the document focuses on improving citizen security through smart policing strategies and increasing the number of officers on the ground. News Five’s Britney Gordon takes a closer look at the Ministry of Home Affairs’ progress on these goals.
Britney Gordon, Reporting
Back in October 2020, the People’s United Party unveiled Plan Belize under the theme, “Everybody Fi Win.” This manifesto laid out ambitious goals to boost the economy, enhance healthcare, and expand access to education by 2025. In the Safe Society section, they pledged to increase the Belize Police Department to four thousand officers—a target that hasn’t been met yet. However, Minister of Home Affairs Kareem Musa insists this doesn’t mean the party’s plan has failed.
Kareem Musa
Kareem Musa, Minister of Home Affairs (File: January 29, 2025)
“I don’t know, what you think, how much space you think we have at the Police Training Academy, but we can only facilitate two hundred and say twenty-five recruits.”
Reporter
“But you made the pledge.”
Kareem Musa
“Yes. It’s over time. Have you heard that plan? Belize is a ten year plan. We’ve had the most recruitment than any other administration and I think our numbers are all the way up to two thousand six hundred going up with the next recruit intake that’s coming out in May. Every year we’ve had at least one, if not two squads coming out from our PTA..”
Musa explained that the Belize Police Department is more than halfway to reaching the goal of four thousand officers, which he expects to achieve around 2030. However, the manifesto on the Government’s Plan website clearly states the party’s aim to meet these targets by 2025. At the 2020 launch of the party manifesto, Leader of the Opposition John Briceno outlined the ambitious goals of the True Blu Plan.
John Briceño, Leader of the Opposition (File: Oct 22, 2020)
“We offer sensible solutions because we understand both the people and the problems. Indigenous and ingenious, this manifesto places the highest premium on radical social transformation. Belizeans must as a fundamental right have the chance at a wholesome education, a job at a livable wage, basic healthcare from cradle to grave and a life unthreatened by violence and crime.”
Musa pointed out that one of the biggest challenges in recruiting new officers is the limited space at the Police Training Academy. Despite this, in April 2024, the Belize police force welcomed two hundred and thirty-one new officers—the largest recruit squad in the country’s history. The manifesto also promised to dismantle the Gang Suppression Unit (GSU), demilitarize the police, and introduce more effective measures to tackle gang activity. This promise was fulfilled in 2021 with the creation of the Gang Intelligence, Investigation, and Interdiction Unit, GI3. Commissioner of Police Chester Williams explained the differences between these units.
Chester Williams
Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police (File: Jan 4, 2021)
“That unit will be tasked primarily with ensuring that the gangs across the city and even those across the country are investigated from an intelligence standpoint. But in the new unit, we have an intelligence cell, we have an investigative arm and an operational arm. And so, the intelligence cell goes out and gathers the intelligence on these gangs, the investigative cell investigates the gang with a view to ensure that we charge gang members for the gang-related offences under the Crime Control and Criminal Justice Act. And the interdiction or the operation arm is out there in the face of the gangs on a daily basis ensuring that they do not get the opportunity to commit the crime that they may wish to commit.”
The government also pledged to improve the police department’s image by providing better training, merit-based recruitment and promotions, police reform and revising the pay scale. In January, an officer shot an escaped detainee while trying to bring him back into custody. Police Commissioner Chester Williams admitted there were mistakes in handling the situation and emphasized the need for more comprehensive training.
“ I had discussed this matter on Friday when I met with the media in terms of the inadequacy of training as well as equipment used by the police in these instances. I wish that, yes, we have the relevant tools and we had a lengthy discussion about this matter in our conference this morning. And the commanders were asked to speak openly about it and to give their opinion so that we know what we need to do going forward in addressing issues like this.”
While not all the Safe Society goals have been met, the Belize Police Department has ramped up efforts to reduce the country’s murder rate in recent years. In 2023, Belize recorded its lowest murder rate since 2005. Although the number rose slightly in 2024, it still stayed below one hundred deaths. The manifesto linked Belize’s high crime rate to its high poverty rate, promising to address both issues together. Britney Gordon for News Five.
