The Belize Police Department is investigating an attack on one of their own. Twenty-nine-year-old Oliver Giron was released from the hospital after being stabbed in Belmopan in the wee hours of this morning.
Witnesses say Giron was attacked by four men. He was stabbed once in the right shoulder after exiting a nightclub at around 1 a.m.
The motive for the attack is under investigation.
Police are investigating the assault of a 17-year-old girl who says she was attacked at her home on Neal’s Penn Road in Belize City on Thursday night by a man she has known for two years.
According to police, the incident began around 8:30 p.m. while the teen was sitting on the bleachers of a nearby basketball court with two friends. She told officers that the 21-year-old man approached them and threw a pint bottle of 501 Beer at her but missed.
Frightened, she ran home. About an hour later, while she was standing on her veranda, she saw the same man coming up her front steps. She says she tried to lock the door, but he forced his way inside and attacked her.
The girl reported that she fought back, punching him in the face and pushing him out of the house. She suffered scratches to her left leg and the right side of her neck during the struggle.
Police have since detained the man, who remains in custody pending charges.
Israel has issued an apology and pledged an investigation after a deadly military strike hit Gaza’s only Catholic church on Thursday, killing three people and injuring several more.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem confirmed that the Holy Family Church, which has served as a refuge for Gaza’s small Christian community during the ongoing war, was struck directly by Israeli tank fire on Thursday morning.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office released a statement expressing “deep regret” over what it called “a stray ammunition” hitting the church. “Every innocent life lost is a tragedy,” the statement read, adding that Israel is investigating and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites.
The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged responsibility, stating that “fragments from a shell fired during operational activity hit the church mistakenly,” and that an inquiry is underway.
About 1,000 Christians lived in Gaza before the outbreak of the war, which has now lasted 20 months and left more than 58,000 Palestinians dead, according to Palestinian officials.
Meanwhile, talks for a ceasefire continue.
Five men were shot while socialising on Aloe Vera Street in Belize City on Thursday night. According to police, the group came under fire around 10:15 p.m. when two men rode up on a bicycle and one opened fire.
Police say the gunmen approached from the direction of Mahogany Street. One of them got off the bicycle and fired several shots toward the group before both suspects fled toward Rosalind Bradley Street, which connects to Lawrence Avenue.
The injured have been identified as Aristotle Hughes, 20; James Young Jr, 29; Jermaine Smart, 18; Douglas Gill, 34; and Lismo Williams, 34.
All five victims were taken to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where they remain in stable condition.
Scenes of Crime Personnel retrieved 18 expended 9mm shells and collected blood samples from the scene.
Meanwhile, there’s a major ongoing public debate on the government-proposed 13th amendment, which aims to introduce several significant changes to Belize’s legal framework in the fight against crime and restore safety in crime-plagued communities. This week, Attorney Darrel Bradley called it “dangerous,” while the former Mesopotamia Area Representative Moses “Shyne” Barrow threw his support behind the 13th amendment.
