Local News

Three persons have been charged in connection with an incident in which a 14 year old girl was shot. They are 18 year old Adrian Alvarez, a student in an apprenticeship program, and two minors, one of them 16 and the other 14.  They were arraigned today. They were charged with conspiracy to commit murder. The 16 year old, who the police believe was the shooter, was taken to Belize Family Court and charged with two counts of attempted murder, one count of aggravated assault, one count of dangerous harm and one count of use of deadly means of harm. The incident occurred around 5:30 p.m. at the corner of Park Street and Lacroix Boulevard. Police reports are that three persons rode up on bicycles and one of them fired four shots at Kingsley Morrison and Kimberly Michael, but the shots missed. One of the bullets, however, penetrated the wall of a house on Cumberbatch Street and struck Desiree Arana in the right side of her lower back. Arana was sitting around her dinner table with her family when she was shot. She was admitted to ward at KHMH where her condition is listed as stable.

Six persons were charged with firearm and ammunition offences when they appeared in court today. They are 26 year old Lionel Sampson, 18 year old Lodrick Ovado, 27 year old Jane Ovado, 19 year old Lanickle Ovado, 45 year old Evelyn Gibson and 52 year old Cyril Ovado. Cyril and Jane are a common-law couple and the Ovados are their children. Sampson is a friend of the family. Evelyn wanted to plead guilty to the charge but Magistrate Aretha Ford did not accept her plea because she did not say that the firearm and ammunition belonged to her. They were remanded into custody until October 8. The incident occurred around 8:05 a.m. yesterday. The police, members of the Gang Suppression Unit, reported that when they searched a house on Raccoon Street Extension, they found a chrome 9 millimetre pistol with 11 rounds of ammunition in its magazine underneath the flooring of a storeroom. Police say their investigation has revealed that the firearm was stolen during a burglary at a house in San Ignacio, which occurred on August 12. Alejandro Najaro, the owner of the house, was away in the U.S.A. at the time.