2024-01-02 - Greater Belize Media

Toddler with Cerebral Palsy Shot During New Year’s Celebration

2025 has just begun, and already several Belize City residents have been hospitalized due to gunshot injuries, including a four-year-old girl. Just after midnight on January first, the little girl was watching fireworks with her family on Levi Slusher Street when she suddenly felt a pain in her arm. At first, her family thought a stray stone had hit her, but an x-ray revealed the shocking truth: she had been struck by a bullet. Thankfully, she is expected to make a full recovery, but the incident has left her family traumatized and the community deeply shaken. Here’s News Five’s Britney Gordon with more details.

Britney Gordon, Reporting

On Wednesday, as the clock struck midnight on New Year’s Day, Belize was alive with the sounds of fireworks and dynamite. The dazzling lights and booming sounds are a beloved tradition for families, friends, and communities to welcome the new year. However, this celebration can quickly turn dangerous, as the sound of dynamite is almost indistinguishable from gunshots. One Belize City family experienced this firsthand when their four-year-old daughter was struck by a bullet while watching the fireworks. The girl’s mother shared the harrowing details of this terrifying incident.

Voice of: Mother of Shooting Victim

“ Two minutes after our firework show finished, her hand was up and I bring it down and she da like mommy, I get hurt. When she say, Mommy, I got hurt, I look, but it’s like a cut, it almost look like it was open. So I yell for my brother and I tell her, da weh happened, the baby get hurt. He say, that probably a stone, got in there weh fly off of the street or the fireworks. So my second brother come and he check it, the neighbors surrounded me and the baby and look at it. So he run upstairs, get the cloth tie it and then I noticed they have a big object inside of her hand. So I mi di hold down weh part the object and mek it no move and fold her hand and we left to the hospital.”

At the hospital, the family made the horrifying discovery that their little girl had been injured by a bullet. Thankfully, doctors were able to remove the bullet from her arm. While the mother is deeply traumatized by the incident, she is doing her best to stay strong for her daughter. Remarkably, the child didn’t cry during the ordeal and is now recovering well, according to her mother.

Voice of: Mother of Shooting Victim

“ She has cerebral palsy, so she can’t walk. So most of the time she sleeps, and when she wakes, I don’t know if she’s traumatized, she keeps asking, like, when is my home going to get better? And question, why did the man hurt me? And those questions got me very emotional because explaining to her that she got a gun wound in her hand, it’s rough. Because it keeps replaying and she keeps questioning it.”

After the bullet was removed, the family headed to the police station to file a formal report. The mother claims they spent over three hours there with her daughter. During the interview, she alleges that the officers were hostile and initially didn’t believe her story.

Voice of: Mother of Shooting Victim

“She started to interrogate me and the way how I process it, the questions and doing her job, right? I let her ask her question, but the way she was stating it, because many of my family member has license gun. And my brothers have license gun as well, but she was trying to let me confess that my brother probably pulled out his firearm and make shots in the air. But before that, I request if they can test bullet to see what gun it comes from to see which gun it come from, because I even wanted to know what kind of bullet it was when I was at the hospital, I asked, but the inspector couldn’t tell. So he said, leave it up to the professionals. And I agree, but then it, during the interrogation, the officer was stiff, but I keep to my words, but she would want, she wanted me to switch. But how can I switch when I’m telling the truth?”

While the child is on the mend, many questions remain unanswered. The family is still in the dark about where the bullet came from, leaving them with a sense of unease and uncertainty.

Britney Gordon

“Do you have any idea where this stray bullet might have come from?”

Voice of: Mother of Shooting Victim

“ No ma’am. No idea. You couldn’t detect or determine if or from a right, left anyway. Because it’s hard for you to determine whether it was fireworks Big dynamite or gunshot or stone because it was literally twelve o’clock when everyone was losing out their stuff.”

Britney Gordon for News Five.

Domestic Violence Unit Renamed to GVRIU

The police department has officially announced that the Domestic Violence Unit has been renamed the Gender-Based Violence Response and Investigative Unit (GVRIU), effective January 1, 2025. According to a memo, this change reflects the department’s commitment to addressing gender-based violence (GBV) in all its forms, including domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and harassment.

The decision, made after extensive consultations with stakeholders, aligns with the department’s evolving mission to combat violence beyond domestic contexts and ensure inclusivity for individuals of all genders, ages, and communities.

“The new name aligns with our evolving mission to address violence not only within domestic contexts but also in diverse scenarios where individuals face violence based on their gender, gender identity or sexual orientation. Gender-based violence encompasses a wide range of harmful acts, including but not limited to domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, and harassment.”

The memo says that improved data collection and analysis methods will be introduced to better track trends and inform policy development.

The department has instructed all police commanders to update references to the new unit name in internal and external communications. This change also aligns with international frameworks, such as the United Nations’ commitments to combating GBV and promoting equality.

Will Kolbe Foundation’s Contract to Manage Prison Be Renewed?

In 2002, the Kolbe Foundation, a private, non-profit organisation, was approved by the government to manage the Belize Central Prison.

However, reports to News 5 are that the foundation’s contract has yet to be renewed. This has been the case since June 2024, according to reports. We are also told that officials from the foundation and government are expected to meet soon to discuss the terms of the contract, including its value.

Before the Kolbe Foundation was contracted, abuse among staff and inmate violence were common. The Belize Central Prison was notorious for its overcrowded conditions, with prisoners often sleeping on the floor surrounded by filth and lacking basic sanitation.

Under the Kolbe Foundation’s management, the prison, which houses about 1,150 inmates, now offers a functioning sewer system, potable water, and adequate bedding. With 2,100 available beds across more than 30 buildings, the facility also provides a range of rehabilitation and social programs.

Despite the prison’s operating cost of just $7 per inmate per day—significantly lower than the nearly $100 spent on each U.S. prisoner—the Kolbe Foundation’s focus is on rehabilitation. Inmates now have access to addiction treatment, educational opportunities to earn primary school certificates, and vocational courses in fields like mechanical repair, construction, woodworking, and welding. Some prisoners even run their own daily radio station, and a select group serves on an advisory board to voice inmate concerns. This rehabilitative approach has helped reduce recidivism.

Roman Catholic Church Mourns Passing of Bishop Nicasio

Tonight, the Roman Catholic Church is mourning the passing of its beloved Bishop Lawrence Nicasio. Nicasio died on New Year’s morning at the age of sixty-seven, after battling with cancer. Originally from Dangriga, Bishop Nicasio started his early education in that municipality and would become a man that was loved by people in all the locations he served, not only as a bishop, but also in his secular life as a teacher after having graduated from the Belize Teachers’ College. Before he went abroad to pursue his studies in theology, Nicasio taught at several schools and served as the director of the Catholic schools in the Toledo District. News Five’s Marion Ali filed the following report on the late bishop’s life.

Marion Ali, Reporting

Born Lawrence Sydney Nicasio on September fifth, 1956, the late Catholic Bishop Larry, as he was affectionately known, began studying philosophy at Cardinal Glennon College in Missouri, in 1981. Thereafter, he pursued theological studies at Kenrick Theological Seminary, near St. Louis, and on June sixteenth 1989, he was ordained a priest.

The late bishop was appointed Vicar in Belmopan for thirteen years from 1991 to 2004, after which he served as pastor in Orange Walk Town, then pastor of St. Ignatius from 2005 to 2008 and at St. John Vianney from 2008 to 2013. When Pope Francis accepted the resignation of the late Bishop Dorick Wright on January twenty-sixth, 2017, he appointed Nicasio as the new Bishop of Belize City and Belmopan.

But even before he went away to become a priest, Nicasio was a leader. He taught at several schools in Belize and served as the director of the Catholic schools in the Toledo District. He was well loved by the people in those communities. Just five days ago, the Catholic Parish and its parishioners in Dangriga led a full service for Nicasio, where, although frail from the ravages of the illness, he was still present.

That congregation sang the Our Father in Garifuna, just as he had always loved when he was the chief celebrant, particularly at November nineteenth church services. Bishop Alvin Benguche of the Methodist Church and Executive Member of the Belize Council of Churches relived how much his brother in Christ promoted the Garifuna culture and one time, invited him to partake in the mass.

Bishop Alvin Benguche, Executive Member, Belize Council of Churches

“He was one who first reached out to me and one who thought that he should reach out to me not only as another person who would serve as Bishop in another denomination, but also he recognized that it was important for us – as two bishops serving the nation and from the Garifuna population; that he should also reach out to me in the sense that we had become religious leaders and it was important. He thought that as religious leaders, especially from the Garifuna nation, that we should at least be able to know where and what we will do as leaders in order to help to reach out to our Garifuna people and the wider nation. And I thought that that, for him, was so very commendable. The Garifuna people should really remember him for the impact of the work that he did amongst the Garifuna population. I can recall that he was one who also insisted that as a part of the Garifuna Mass on the 19th of November in Dangriga, that he thought that it was important to involve me in one of those services. I thought that it was so very humbling of him to ensure that I participated in such a mass, and I will never forget that.”

Bishop Philip Wright who heads the Anglican Church also shared with us his opinion of the late Bishop Nicasio with whom he shared a few working sessions.

Rev. Philip Wright, Bishop, Anglican Diocese

“He was somewhat soft spoken, and jovial, but he always brought to our conversations some insights into issues and I remember him as well as being able to offer anecdotal stories to help make his point. So he will be remembered as a somewhat gentle spirit, soft spoken, but deep in his reflection and in his contributions to our conversations. We have again lost quite a son of the sword, you know, who was very committed to his ministry, to his church, to his people and he will long be remembered as well as a faithful servant, a friend and a colleague.”

Father Cesar Santa Cruz, also Catholic priest, has only been in Belize for a little over a month and only met with Bishop Nicasio once, but it was a meeting that he says he will remember for a long time.

Father Cesar Santa Cruz, Priest, Catholic Church

“I came here from Guatemala to cover this mission in November 22^nd and I was in a meeting with the mission. It was December 14^th, I had the opportunity to see him and that was the only one. I could see, well he was in a wheelchair. I could see he was very sick, but I could appreciate the love that people had for him. He was very kind. I was introduced to him – really very kind person, very quiet. He really impressed me with his personality. I could see how people really loved him.”

Bishop Nicasio, who had been ill for a couple years, had given an update on his health battle and offered hope to his congregation virtually in May of 2023, following his first round of treatment.

Bishop Lawrence Nicasio, Deceased

“I continue treatment and I’m very grateful to the doctors and the nurses who worked along with me. A number of them are Catholics, and we really pray for one another, and they’ve offered me loving care and I’m very grateful for that. At this point in my journey, we’ve been communicating with the doctor, a classmate of mine who has been very helpful in transporting me to the clinic. We discussed with the doctor about making a brief visit home to Belize. I just want to join you again as we join our hearts in prayer for this entire journey that I’ve been on since last year in July. Thanks again for your prayers and many greetings you have sent and words of encouragement you’ve sent to me. Those who come by to visit, I thank you very much.”

The Vatican will determine who will be the next Bishop of the Catholic Church. Bishop Nicasio will be laid to rest on Friday, following a funeral service in Belmopan. Marion Ali for News Five.

Minister Fonseca: Bishop Nicasio was a Good Son of Belize

Minister of Education, Francis Fonseca, also expressed his condolences on the passing of Bishop Nicasio on his Facebook page. He shared with News Five that the late bishop had dedicated much of his sixty-seven years to the clergy and to education, and for that, the government pays its respect and gratitude to someone he referred to as: a very good friend, a strong partner in education, and a good son of Belize.

Via phone: Francis Fonseca, Minister of Education

“Bishop Nicasio has been a priest for, I think 34 years, serving our Belizean community, our people. He has served in many communities across the country and is loved, beloved by Belizeans all across our community. So, you know, in education, we consider him a very good friend, a strong partner in education, someone who believes in the church state partnership of education and who worked very closely with the Government of Belize and the Ministry of Education to advance, you know, our goals for quality education in Belize. So we want to, on behalf of the Government of Belize, on behalf of the Ministry of Education, express our deepest sympathies to his family, and of course, to his colleague, priest in the Roman Catholic Church, and indeed to the entire Roman Catholic Church community, you know. We have lost a good son of Belize, who has given his life, to serving God, and serving our communities.”

Deadly New Year’s Eve Shooting: Self-defense or Murder?

A Belize City resident was shot and killed over the New Year’s weekend, as he left the parking lot of a popular nightclub. Tonight, police have turned over surveillance footage of the incident to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, awaiting further instructions. From the look of it, twenty-eight-year-old Trevor Brown got into an altercation with several other patrons in the parking lot and the situation escalated quickly, resulting in deadly gunfire. Here’s News Five’s Isani Cayetano with that story.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A deadly New Year’s Eve shooting in Belize City bookended the violence that gripped the Old Capital during the Christmas holidays. In the wee small hours on Sunday morning, an altercation in the parking lot at Thirsty Thursdays ended in an exchange of gunfire and when the shooting subsided, twenty-eight-year-old Trevor Brown had been mortally wounded.

Anthony Perry, Stepfather of Deceased

“As the family, everybody is just mourning the loss of my son and really we noh happy wid weh happen, but we wahn mek God do ih course. Soh fi now, we actually di plan di funeral and we di wait fi sih more or less weh di police dehn wahn investigate so we know more or less who kill ahn.”

What transpire in the parking lot was an altercation between patrons leaving the establishment. Surveillance footage shows the vehicle that Brown was driving when it rear-ended a pickup truck nearby. The men then confront each other before Brown and occupants of his vehicle got in and attempted to drive off. In the process, it would appear as though he deliberately swerved in the direction of the person he had just exchanged words with. Brown exited and began firing.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“Police responded to a shooting at Newtown Barracks, at a parking lot. Upon their arrival, information was received that Trevor Brown received gunshot injuries and he was rushed to the KHMH for treatment. He was then pronounced dead on arrival at the KHMH. Information received was that Trevor Brown had an altercation with another male person at the parking lot and at some point both of them pulled out firearms and fire at each other.”

Brown’s older sibling was in bed when he received a phone call from their stepfather. Anthony Perry was calling to inform him of the deadly encounter moments earlier.

Travis Brown, Brother of Deceased

“I mi deh eena my bed. Nobody know that I mi come back from down south because I deh mostly down south. I get wahn call from my stepfather and I sih he di call me and I return back fi he call. He neva know I deh eena my bed and he da like, “Ah call yoh fi tell yoh that dehn just shot Trevor and dehn kill Trevor.” We just talk Friday before I leff. We di talk bout vehicle. He just buy ih vehicle and di man tell me, ih seh, “Mek ah borrow yoh battery.” I seh, “Hold on to di battery ‘til Monday cause I noh wahn need it ‘til Monday. We deh fronta fi he vehicle and we di talk from one thing to the next. We gaan eena ih vehicle, show me ih radio cause I da di most one weh know bout vehicle, yoh know, and ih di show me ih radio. Ah tell ahn da probably just wahn lee fuse or something. I take off and I gaan south. That da di last time I sih or hear from my bredda.”

According to a situation report shared by the Belize Police Department, Brown was walking back to his Mazda when a pair of men came from behind and opened fire on him. The windshield of the vehicle was damaged and the men reportedly fled from the scene.

ACP Hilberto Romero

“Shortly thereafter, a male person was apprehended in the Yabra area and he was found with a gunshot injury to the head and he was taken to the hospital and he’s presently admitted receiving treatment. Several expended shells were found at the scene and vehicles were scene with bullet holes. A thorough investigation is being carried out in this incident and statements are being recorded. We have video footage and these will be forwarded to the DPP for determination. The person that is admitted at the hospital is still there and so we await when he is released to conduct an interview.”

Brown was among nine children being raised by his stepfather who told News Five this afternoon that the family is not interested in reprisal of their loved one.

Anthony Perry

“Pan fu we half as wahn family, we need fi mek sure that we stay strong as one and do what we need to do to lay my son to rest. Well I noh into this grievance and vengeance and weh everybody into. Everything weh I leff it deh eena God’s hands and when the time is right he wahn fix it. So fi now, that’s all I got fi seh.”

Admittedly, Brown, by his brother’s words, was no angel. He had flaws about himself, but the family did not think that the call they would receive on New Year’s Eve was to inform of his demise.

Travis Brown

“Ah noh something weh I wah seh I di run from, but ah just never expect it, especially fi di New Year, yoh know. My lee bredda and everything, ih do good, ih do bad, I cyant seh nothing, ih done happen.”

Isani Cayetano for News Five.

Jorge Lozano Fatally Shot in Belize City

Police in Belize City continue to investigate the shooting murder of thirty-eight-year-old Jorge Lozano. On Friday night, Lozano was heading home on Madam Liz Avenue when he was targeted. He was shot several times and rushed to the K.H.M.H. where he died the following day. Police say that they have a possible motive but no suspects. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo reports

Hipolito Novelo reporting

Thirty-eight-year-old Jorge Lozano was shot several times on Friday night. At around six o’clock, Lozano was on his way home on Madam Liz Avenue and as he approached the front gate the gunman pounced, firing a barrage of bullets at Lozano.

ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division

“Investigation revealed that Lozano was at the street when a white car pulled out. A male person then fired several shots at his direction, causing his fatal injuries. No suspects at this time.”

Lozano was rushed to the hospital where he fought for his life. He died on Saturday morning. Investigators say Lozano is known to police and his murder might be gang related.

ACP Hilberto Romero
“Yes, we have dealt with him in the past and the investigation at this time continues as we have no suspects at this time.

Reporter

“But do you believe that it is somehow gang related?

ACP Hilberto Romero

“Probably it is something to that effect.”

Following, Lozano’s murder, police received information of retaliation. As such, some of the victim’s relatives were detained for forty eight hours.

ACP Hilberto Romero

“There was some threat of retaliation and so we took some action to prevent any retaliation regarding this murder.”

Lozano became the second to last person to be murdered in 2023. Reporting for News Five, I am Hipolito Novelo.

Eighty-eight Murders in 2023?

2023 recorded fewer murders than any previous year, and perhaps going all the way back to 2008. While there was a spate of murders occurring over the extended Christmas holidays, prior to that, the count was somewhere in the vicinity of eighty-four. And when the Christmas holidays ended, so too were the lives of Christian Ramos, Darnell Puerto and Kaleem Chun by gun violence. Two of them occurred in Belize City and the other in Punta Gorda. Back in September, when the Belize Police Department’s Crime Observatory had released its Compstat figures, Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams had indicated that the last time Belize recorded murders in double digits was back in 2013 with ninety-nine murders. And the least deadliest three years going back have been that same year – 2013, 2020 when there were a hundred and three murders, and 2022, when there were a hundred and thirteen. With the murder count for 2023 at around eighty-eight, the police department credits the Leadership Intervention Unit for the number not surpassing the one hundred mark.