Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Belize Times
1
Murder Nation
SUNDAY SEPTEMBER 12, 2010
Tonight’s radio and television evening newscasts were dominated by stories of murder, murder, murder, and other crime and violence. Although Belizeans have become accustomed to hearing about shootings, stabbings and vicious attacks in the City, tonight the news broadcasts will go down in history as one of the most violent. In the north in Carmelita, Orange Walk police are still trying to piece together why three family members on a farm just outside this small and usually quiet village were murdered. The family were the caretakers and lived on a family farm just outside of Orange Walk Town and when police arrived, they
Issue No. 4710
encountered the first victim, Carmita Rivas, in the kitchen after which they found the bodies of Rivas' son, fourteen year old Carlos Wagner and the farm’s co-caretaker Pantaleon Navarro, in a corn field owned by Hilton Codd Jr. All had been shot. As the nation tried to recover from the shock of what took place in Carmelita, the news broke of yet another murder, this time out west in Ontario Village, Cayo. A young man who reportedly went to a home to try, on behalf of some friends, to establish peace between the two groups ended up being shot and killed around 11:00 on Tuesday night during a birthday party.
Frustration Grows Over Missing Children & Spawns Arson
Benjamin Rash
Onelia Rash
Full story on Page 3
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Jesse Jones, 22 was, trying to get the two groups to relinquish their troubled past when someone from inside the house he was visiting shot him dead. This created a night of total chaos when Jones' friends became irate at what had happened and armed themselves with machetes and sticks and rained on the occupants of the house, setting two buildings on fire. It is an incident that, like in the other districts, has left police in Belmopan trying to put the pieces of this puzzle together. In Belize City a police officer on mobile patrol was shot when they approached two men on a bicycle, one of whom who opened fire on the officers.
The police officer is listed as in a critical but stable condition after undergoing surgery to remove a slug from his chest cavity. This latest killing season started last Tuesday night with the brutal street slaying of 17 year old Jodrick Thompson on the mean streets of Belize City. On Thursday night a couple’s volatile relationship crashed to an end all their mutual relatives had too long anticipated when she stabbed him to death. Two days later educator Carlos Espat was found bludgeoned to death on Saturday morning in his apartment. Just two days later a senior citizen (Continued on pg. 3)
Last week after allegations of negligence had been made against the Northern Regional Hospital (NRH) regarding the death of yet another baby the Minister of Health, Pablo Marin, gave an interview to CTV3 of Orange Walk. During this interview the CTV3 reporter asked the Minister about the many concerns that were recently expressed publicly about the services given at the NRH. To this the Minister of Health responded “I know but let me tell you something I don’t know if he is taping I do not care. The biggest problem I have in Orange Walk is that I have doctors that are working privately
and are working in our hospital….” When the reporter further probed and asked the Minister how he would deal with the problem of the doctors he replied “well I am dealing with that right now I am already sending applications for help in Mexico, Taiwan and El Salvador to bring in doctors because I am fed up of this thing.” The Belize Times went out to investigate the matter in Orange Walk Town and met with some of the doctors that work at the NRH to get their response to the Minister’s comments on CTV3. The responses given by the (Continued on pg. 3)
MINISTER THREATENS TO FIRE BELIZEAN DOCTORS!
Former PUP Secretary General Carlos Espat Found Dead
T h e m em b er s a n d supporters of the Peoples U n i t e d Pa r t y, a s w e l l as many past students and friends expressed shock and grief when it was learned that Carlos Espat, 47, was discovered dead inside his apartment atop the third floor of his Albert Street Residence in Belize City. T he educator and former Secretary General of the PUP was found by brothers, Alber t Area Representative and De p uty Pa r ty Lea der, Hon. Mark Espat his other brother, Philip. A post mortem examination on Monday confir med that Espat (Continued on pg. 3)
Party Leader John Briceño with Queen of the Bay Audralee Enriquez
Happy St. George's Caye Day