A troubling case of cybercrime has stirred up concern in the Orange Walk community this week. A young woman’s lost cellphone turned into a nightmare when private photos were shared without her consent through her own social media accounts. But thanks to swift action by the Belize Police Department’s Cybercrime Unit, the device was recovered, and a fourteen-year-old male has been arrested and charged.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“On Tuesday, June 16th, 2025, a twenty-year-old female visited the Orange Walk Police Station and reported that she had lost her cellphone on June 13th, which contained several nude photos of her. The female stated that someone had utilized her Facebook and Instagram accounts that were logged into on the lost cellphone to send several nude photos to her friends on those social media platforms. The police Information Technology and Cybercrime Unit of the Belize Police Department launched an investigation which resulted in the recovery of the lost cellphone and the arrest and charge of a fourteen-year-old male minor of that jurisdiction for the offence of using a computer system to publish images of a private area.”
It’s a stark reminder of how quickly technology can be misused—and how important digital safety really is.
A recent break-in at a primary school in Belmopan has left teachers and parents deeply concerned. Sometime between June thirteenth and fourteenth, thieves targeted United Evergreen Primary School, making off with seven Chromebooks from the principal’s office. Principal Rosalia Witty says she locked up the school around 4:30 p.m., only to be alerted the next evening by the school watchman that her office had been broken into. Police have since launched an investigation and detained one person in connection with the burglary.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“Police are investigating a burglary incident which occurred between June 13th and fourteenth, in the city of Belmopan. Rosalia Witty, the principal of United Evergreen Primary School, located at the corner of Ambergris Avenue and Trinity Boulevard, reported that at approximately 4:30 p.m. on June thirteenth, she left the school compound after ensuring that it was properly secured. At approximately 6:20 p.m., on June fourteenth, she was informed by the school watchman that her office was broken into. Principal Witty inspected the office where she observed that a box containing seven Chromebooks were no longer present and she had summoned the police to the scene where statements were recorded and the scene was processed. Police detained one individual in connection with this ongoing investigation.”
Two separate burglaries, two men behind bars tonight. Police have charged Kevin Navarrete and Jafari Gonguez in connection with two unrelated break-ins—one in San Pedro, the other in Belize City. Navarrete is accused of sneaking into a San Pedro home and making off with two cell phones worth over seven hundred dollars. Meanwhile, twenty-four-year-old Jafari Gonguez allegedly broke into a woman’s home in the city and tried to steal her television, but she caught on just in time. ASP Stacy Smith has more on both cases and the charges these men now face.
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“Police have arrested and charged two male persons for the crime of burglary, which occurred in two separate stances. In separate parts of the country. On Tuesday sixteenth June, 2025, police formally arrested and charge Kevin Navarrete, twenty-eight-year-old Bel Reason of Boca del San Pedro for the crime of burglary. This arrest is as a consequence of. Police investigation into a report made by a female who stated that on fifteenth June, 2025 at approximately one thirty p.m. she left her apartment and visited another room on the apartment building, and her attention was drawn to some rattling sounds coming from the direction of her apartment. Upon making checks, she saw a male person exiting her apartment, and upon inspecting her room, she observed that two cell phones valuing a total of seven hundred and fifty dollars were missing. As it relates to the other arrest for burglary. On Friday, June twentieth, 2025, police formally arrested and charged Jafari Gonguez, twenty-four-year-old Belize of Pearl Thompson Street, for the crime of burglary. This arrest is of the consequence of police’s investigation into a report made by a female. Who stated that on twenty-fifth, May, 2025, she returned to her residence and observed that four of the louvers from one of the windows on her home were missing, and her television was placed near the window. Which was not where she had left it. The scene was processed by scenes of crime technicians, which yielded useful potential evidence. Nothing was stolen.”
A family in Benque Viejo is desperately searching for answers tonight after a fourteen-year-old girl vanished from her home. Aurora Gonzalez was last seen on Sunday morning, June twenty-second, when her stepmother discovered her missing from her bedroom. Since then, there’s been no sign of the teenager. Police are now looking to speak with Florentino Iglesias of Benque Viejo in connection with her disappearance. Gonzalez is described as fair-skinned, about five-foot-five, and weighing roughly a hundred and five pounds. Authorities are urging anyone with information to come forward.
Stacy Smith
ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer
“On Sunday, June 22nd, 2025, Dania Redondo, a Honduran housewife, visited the Benque Viejo Police Station and reported that she had made checks in her stepdaughter’s room, Aurora Gonzalez, at about nine o’clock a.m., where she discovered that Gonzalez was not there. Efforts to locate Gonzalez have proven fruitless and police seeking Florentino Iglesias of Benque Viejo for question in relation to this report. Gonzalez is of fair complexion, stands at approximately five foot, five inches in height, fourteen years old and weighs approximately one hundred and five pounds. Persons are encouraged to call Crime Stoppers at 922 or the nearest police station if Gonzalez or Iglesias are seen.”
Reporter
“Is he an adult?”
Stacy Smith
“Yes.”
Time is critical and your tip could help bring Aurora home.
A major step forward for Belize’s economic future—this past week, the Ministry of Economic Transformation wrapped up a high-level mission with the World Bank Group. Top officials from both the World Bank and the International Finance Corporation were in the country, exploring ways to boost Belize’s logistics and infrastructure. Their visit included a stop in San Pedro, where they got a firsthand look at local efforts to tackle sargassum using nature-based solutions. And the mission ended on a high note, with the signing of a new agreement aimed at unlocking investment opportunities through public-private partnerships.
Belize is taking a moment to say thank you to the thousands of men and women who keep our government running every single day. It’s Public Service Day, a time to recognize the dedication and hard work of those serving across ministries and departments. But the celebration doesn’t stop here, festivities will continue throughout the week, wrapping up with a big celebration. Minister of Public Service, Henry Charles Usher, shared a heartfelt message of gratitude for the people behind the public sector.
Henry Charles Usher
Henry Charles Usher, Minister of Public Service
“This is public service week. It runs the entire week. There is a series of activities countrywide. It started today with Ecumenical Services throughout the country. What they usually do on Tuesday is a public service march and then there are information sessions being set up in the different municipalities. On Thursday there is the award ceremony that we normally do for public officers who reach twenty-five years of service in the public service. But we also have certificates given out for our public officers who reach ten, fifteen twenty, twenty-five, thirty, up to thirty-five. I believe in September we are going to have the induction of those thirty-five year public service employee in the walk of fame that we have in Belmopan so that they can get their little space on that walk. Ti is certainly something I am honored to be a part of, because I recognize the work public servants have been doing, those who have been their for thirty years, thirty-five years giving up their entire working life to public service, we cant take that for granted and must acknowledge them. This is public service week and we want to have the public know what the public service is doing and what these officers are doing.”
Get ready, Belize—some serious volleyball action is coming your way. In less than a month, the country will play host to the Under-23 Women’s Central American Volleyball Championship, and it’s all happening right inside the Belize City Civic Center. So, if you’re a fan of fast serves, fierce spikes, and Team Belize pride, mark your calendars. We caught up with the President of the Belize Volleyball Association to hear how preparations are going and what fans can expect when the tournament kicks off.
Allan Sharp
Allan Sharp, President, Belize Volleyball Association
“As with the past few years we are hosting the U-23 Female Central American Championship. This is right next to the seniors, so we will have a lot of the big guns coming and a lot of the big guns we will have on our own. We have our own big guns. Five teams coming, but Nicaragua and Costa Rica says they cant make ti this time. So, in the case of Costa Rica, not a surprise we felt like they may not want to come again. But nevertheless, the other five countries will be here to battle. The teams arrive July eighteen and they depart on the twenty-fifth. That is a Friday to a Friday. The tournament will being on the twentieth, the Sunday the twentieth and it runs through Thursday. Two matches per day and you will see the information popping out because we are one month away. So that is what will happen.”
Good evening, Belize. I’m Paul Lopez, and welcome to your weekly dose of action on Sports Monday. We had a jam-packed weekend of sporting excitement, and we’re diving right into it. Let’s tip things off with week six of the Belize Premier Basketball League. The Belize City Thunderbolts were back on their home court Friday night at the Civic Center, facing off against the Capital City Kings. Now, outside it was all wind and rain—but inside, the Thunderbolts were bringing the heat, looking to settle the score after a tough loss to the Kings just a couple weeks ago in Belmopan. Let’s look at how that rematch played out.
Victor Evans taking Jayden Lopez all the way inside on the drive to put up the first basket of the game, and its an And-1. Jayden Lopez, responding on the other end with a three-pointer off the assist from Brandon Flowers. Five minutes in the first, the ball game is at eleven to three, the Kings down by seven points. Flowers with the layup to cut down the lead. Nisani Mendez shortly after with the step back and made three-pointer. Victor Evans on the other end, over Mendez from the arch. That is good. The first quarter ended with the Thunderbolts in the lead; twenty-two to fourteen points, an eleven points quarter for Evans. Shane Pratt here early in the second quarter, misses his first three-point attempt. John Kelly with the offensive rebound, finds Pratt again and that time the three is good. Twenty-two to nineteen, the Thunderbolts still in the lead.
And Evans responded immediately at the other end with a beautiful jump shot over Pratt. The first half ended thirty-nine to thirty-four, with the Thunderbolts still in the lead. They led from the start of the game up to this point. The Kings coming alive early in the third, Jevaughn Mckenzie makes a three. Flowers followed with a nice layup off the Mckenzie assist, again the Thunderbolt’s lead is cut to three points. Late in the third, with three minutes left on the clock. The ball finds Clency “Cope” Lopez at the three-point line and he extends his team’s lead to ten points, fifty-five to forty-five. The Thunderbolts went on an eleven-three run to end the third with eighteen points lead.
The Thunderbolts realized their largest lead of the game in the fourth quarter, twenty-five points lead. And it was all but over for the Kings at that point. They tried to claw their way back but were unfortunately unable to do so. Evans led the game with twenty-four points, while Mathew Young came out with twelve rebounds and eleven points for a double double. Brandon Flowers and John Kelly also had double double performing nights, with twelve points and thirteen rebounds and eighteen points and thirteen rebounds respectively. Also, the EZ Investment Dream Ballers brought down the Corozal Cerros Suns on Friday night, sixty-nine to sixty-three points. The Tiger Sharks are now six and zero after defeating the Punta Gorda Panthers eighty-to seventy-five on Saturday inside the Civic. On Sunday….
Now, that is enough for basketball, but as we said it was a rainy Friday night and Saturday across the country. But that did not stop football from playing in both the William Dawson Peace Cup and the Anthony Mahler Youth Football Tournament. The Yabra Greens was the stage for this weekend’s Peace Cup matchups. The mud and winds were no match for Ceasar Ridge FC and Graveyard FC. They came to play. Eleven minutes in, Lawnie Leslie timed the ball perfectly for a kick from outside the penalty box and through the legs of the goalkeeper. A tremendous effort from Leslie. Watch Leslie again on the left-wing sprinting towards the penalty box. Leslie connects in front of the goal and gives his team two goals to zero lead.
Fifty-nine minutes into this one, young Zebulon Leslie for Graveyard FC sprints down the left wing in similar fashion and celebrates one goal for his team. But Caesar Ridge would come back to score three additional goals, including this miss and recovery from Leslie for a hat-trick, his third goal of the match. CRFC won the game five goals to one. In the Youth football tournament Belize United’s youth team defeated the Reality Youth. Shae Gordon out the gate with back-to-back early goals for Belize United. Marques Martinez with a goal in the fourth minute for Reality Youths as well. Belize United won this one, three goals to one. Ladyville Rising Stars overcame Sampson Academy two goals to one. Fredrick Garbutt and Elton Anthony scored the goals for Ladyville, while Lloyd Burgess rose to the occasion for Sampson Academy. Well folks, that is all we have for you in tonight’s coverage of Sports Monday. Catch you in the next one!
The Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital Authority (KHMHA) has expressed support for an ex gratia payment to staff members employed between 2001, when KHMHA was formally established, and 2017, the year the hospital’s Provident Fund was created.
According to the KHMH, the proposed ex gratia payments, as outlined in a letter to the union dated June 20, 2025, aim to recognise the years of service by eligible staff prior to the creation of the fund. According to the proposal, payments will be made upon retirement, resignation, or release from service.
“This payment is in addition to other benefits every staff member accrues during the referenced period of employment and includes severance, social security benefits, vacation days, and provident fund benefits,” the KHMH said.
KHMHA also highlighted the comprehensive package of incentives currently available to staff, which includes hospital service discounts, free medical care, access to the staff and family clinic, group health insurance, study leave, meals, night transportation, various allowances, and concessionary staff loans.
While the union had requested a pension scheme, the Authority explained that such benefits are reserved for public officers covered under the Pensions Act and paid by the Government of Belize. Employees directly hired by KHMHA do not qualify under this system.
U.S. President Donald Trump declared what he described as a “Complete and Total” ceasefire agreement between Israel and Iran, expressing hope that the truce will become permanent. He did so on social media.
The ceasefire is scheduled to begin in approximately six hours, allowing both nations to conclude ongoing military operations. According to Trump’s statement, the initial phase will last 12 hours, during which Iran will cease hostilities, followed by Israel joining the truce in the second 12-hour phase. At the 24-hour mark, the president said, “an Official END to THE 12 DAY WAR will be saluted by the World.”
Neither Israel nor Iran has issued official confirmation of the ceasefire terms or its implementation timeline. Trump’s post stated that each side is expected to remain “PEACEFUL and RESPECTFUL” during the other’s ceasefire window.
Vice President JD Vance, speaking moments after the announcement on Fox News, praised the development and said he had seen a draft of the ceasefire announcement shortly before it was published. “That’s good news, that the president was able to get that across the finish line,” Vance said, noting that Trump had been “working the phones” on the deal throughout the day.
Vance added that, due to U.S. military action, “Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have, because we destroyed it.”
