American Man Charged After Allegedly Shooting at Police in Lord’s Bank

An American national, twenty-eight‑year‑old Darnae Garcia, was arraigned this morning in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court following a violent domestic dispute in Lords Bank that escalated into an alleged shooting at police. Garcia faces multiple charges, including attempted murder of three police officers, firearm and ammunition offenses, harm to his ex‑girlfriend, and damage to a government police vehicle. Police say officers responded to a domestic disturbance early Sunday morning and found Garcia’s ex‑girlfriend, Janesha Gentle, visibly injured. As officers attempted to detain Garcia, he allegedly ran inside his house, and moments later shots were fired at the police vehicle as officers drove away. Two bullet holes were later found on the government pickup. Garcia was also found in possession of multiple firearms and ammunition, including a nine‑millimeter pistol, an AR‑15 rifle, and dozens of live rounds, along with suspected cannabis. During his arraignment, Garcia repeatedly told the court he did not understand the charges and claimed to have a psychotic condition. Because of this, the Chief Magistrate ruled that no plea could be taken and ordered Garcia remanded to the Belize Central Prison for a psychiatric evaluation. The court also heard that Garcia stopped taking prescribed medication after arriving in Belize last year. His twin brother told the court the family is willing to pay for a private mental evaluation. Garcia remains in custody as the court awaits the outcome of the assessment before the case can proceed.