Pablo Catzim Sentenced to 14 Years for the Murder of Bobby Garcia

The High Court in Belmopan has sentenced the now-adult defendant, Pablo Catzim, in the 2018 murder of 19-year-old Bobby Garcia to 14 years in prison. Catzim was 15-years-old at the time of Garcia’s murder. This verdict comes with nearly seven and a half years already served on remand deducted.

Under provisions for offenders under 16, the court will review his case in three years to determine eligibility for release.

“Since he has been to prison, he has completed many of the programmes at prison. He has shown himself to be someone who, if he is reintroduced into society, he can be a productive member of society,” Catzim’s attorney, Bryan Neal, told News 5 in an interview after the sentencing. “Everybody deserves a second chance.”

Catzim pleaded guilty to the murder of Garcia. Neal said he expressed remorse for his actions and “apologised to the mother and the father and the entire society for what he had done.”

Neal added, “He has faced up to his crime based on the consequences of his actions. And I think the judge took that into consideration in determining the amount of years that he must spend in prison.

The prosecution was led by Director of Public Prosecutions Cheryl-Lynn Vidal. “In three years, he’ll be back before the courts to see if he can be released back into society as a rehabilitated young man,” Neal said.