Paul Lopez, Reporting

A Saturday hangout along Barton Creek ended in tragedy when twenty‑year‑old Manuela Vanegas and twenty‑three‑year‑old Jerrington Ingram were gunned down on their walk back into Unitedville. The pair had spent the afternoon cooling off by the creek with two others, but about fifteen minutes into their hike home, a gunman waited near the bridge and opened fire, killing them on the spot.

                      Stacy Smith

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“Preliminary investigation suggest that the victims may have returned from swimming at a nearby creek when they were accosted. The area was canvassed with a view to identify potential witnesses and to obtain video footage which we hope would be of assistance to the investigation.”

Vanegas’ brother told News Five his sister had only come to Unitedville for a quick visit with her cousin, and in a tragic twist, she and Ingram had only started seeing each other about three weeks ago.

              Voice of: Brother of Deceased

Voice of: Brother of Deceased

“Basically to our understanding when she was coming from around the creek, around four to five, they were all coming together, but my cousin left ahead. And it was the gentlemen that died along with her. And to our understanding, after my cousin left, they heard seven gunshots. They ran back, so two bodies on the ground and ran home to call someone for assistance. But that is as much details as we got.”

              Manuela Vanegas

Paul Lopez

“In terms of the relationship between your sister and Mr. Ingram, what was that like?”

Voice of: Brother of Deceased

“Well, first we thought it was a friendship, but my understanding is that they were seeing each other. They were starting out as boyfriend and girlfriend. That is as much as we know. We did know if they were actually together.”

             Jermaine Jerrington Ingram

Family members say Vanegas met Ingram through her cousin and insist she wasn’t the target, just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Meanwhile, talk in the village hints that Ingram’s past may have put him at risk, but his sister rejects that claim, saying men in the area openly threatened to kill him.

        Voice of: Sister of Deceased

Voice of: Sister of Deceased

“He was and I am certain he was the intended target. The female, his girlfriend, innocent soul got taken away because she was associating with my brother. Jerrington was not a gang member, he was not a problem child. Anybody who knows him personally knows he was a quiet child. But he was the intended target. Threats were made, threats were sent two weeks prior.”

Jerrington’s sister says a brawl at the community center weeks ago sparked rumors that he was involved, rumors the family denies, but they claim one relative of the men in that fight vowed revenge and named Jerrington as a target, and despite their repeated warnings, police never stepped in.

Voice of: Sister of Deceased

“These set of kids are being protected by the police. These set of kids are being protected by San Ignacio Police. Whatever bond they have with San Ignacio Police nothing will happen. I am telling you this and you will listen to this how many years. nothing will come out of this. My brother will die, done die, rotten and these boys will kill, kill, kill, because they will walk free. These police don’t listen.”

                  Manuela Vanegas

Tonight, two families are grieving, one saying their son’s death could have been prevented, and the other mourning a young woman who was killed simply because she was with the wrong person at the wrong time.

Voice of: Brother of Deceased

“To be honest my sister does not have any criminal past. She does not have any type of bad blood with anyone. So, the only thing to our understanding is that it is just somebody else past that came back at them and she was just there at the wrong time. She was quite charismatic, kindhearted, she was outspoken and loved to state her opinions.”

The families of Manuela Vanegas and Jermaine Ingram are left with unanswered questions and a deep sense of injustice. Authorities are yet to establish a motive. Reporting for News Five, I am Paul Lopez.

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

Watch the full newscast here:

The post Barton Creek Escape Turns Deadly for Young Couple first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                           Stacy Smith

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“The investigation commenced on Saturday 21st February at around eight o ‘clock p.m. when officers on patrol in the precinct one area were alerted to the signs of shots being fired in the vicinity of Curassow Street, Belize City. The officers were advised of the specific location of the incident, and upon the arrival of these officers, they witness Mr. Damion Dawson who was suffering an apparent gunshot wound to the body. Mr. Dawson was ferried to the hospital where he is listed in a stable condition and the scene was processed. Similarly, this incident was captured on police camera and those footages are now being reviewed with a view to advancing the ongoing investigation. No motive has been established in the shooting.”

Police say they’re analyzing the video closely as they try to uncover who fired the shot and what led up to it.

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

Watch the full newscast here:

The post Curassow Street Shooting Caught on Police Camera first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Attention readers: This online newscast is a direct transcript of our evening television broadcast. When speakers use Kriol, we have carefully rendered their words using a standard spelling system.

Watch the full newscast here:

The post Several Detained After Shooting in Belize City first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Stacy Smith

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“What the investigation has disclosed so far is that both Webster and Alvarez were with a group of four male persons when they were fired upon.”

Reporter

“That means there are witnesses available.”

ASP Stacy Smith

“It is an ongoing investigation there has been some developments in the course of this investigation and the media will be advised as more information is known.”

Reporter

“Might the police have received information that the young men were involved in the robbery of a delivery truck in Belmopan recently?”

ASP Stacy Smith

“What I can say is that one of the male person, Mr. Webster was a person of interest in a report that was made, a robbery report.”

Reporter

“Police do not believe there is any connection?”

ASP Stacy Smith

“As I stated it is an ongoing investigation. We are hoping that the leads we have gathered will bring clarity as to the motive for this incident.”

Reporter

“Other than one of the victims being wanted for questioning, are they known to police otherwise.”

ASP Stacy Smith

“Yes.”

Voice of: Sister of Deceased

Voice of: Sister of Deceased

“Anyone that called first we would have taken. He was not gang affiliated. He was a baller. We were not aware of any beef regarding Calvert. We don’t know about any beef. The only thing we can say is that it had to be someone he knew and trusted, it had to be someone he knew and trusted. What made me think that is that he was all for his friends. His friends come to our house, my brother got up and feed them. They don’t have shirt he gave it to them. They don’t have light he tell them come iron at my mom’s house. That was my brother. He looked out for everybody.”

Police say they’re now following several new leads, while the family insists Calvert was a loyal friend whose character, not criminal ties, defined the young man they lost.

The post Loved Ones Reject Claims Against Slain Cousins first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

                        Stacy Smith

ASP Stacy Smith, Staff Officer

“Police have formally arrested and charged eighteen-year-old Kriston Fernandez  for the offense of kept firearm without a gun license and kept ammunition without a gun license. Also charged in that incident was a sixteen-year-old minor who was charged separately for the offense of kept firearm without a gun license and kept ammunition without a gun license. The charges so far relate to police’s investigation into the report of a shooting incident that occurred sometime around ten thirty p.m. on Thursday twelfth February 2026. The arresting officers reported that they were on Youth for the Future Drive  when their attention was drawn to the songs of shots being fired. And they were also alerted via the control room that a male person was shot at JL’s Quick Loan located on Cleghorn Street in Belize City. The officers proceeded to the area and they observed two male persons and these male persons were pursued.

When the two male persons who were observed coming from the direction of North Front Street, over the BelChina Bridge were observed and pursued. One was struck down in the vicinity of West Collet Canal, and he was observed throwing a firearm and the other minor was also struck down, and he too was observed to be in position of a firearm. What we know so far in the course of this investigation is that a security guard that was doing security services at JL’s Quick Loan as at that place of employment when two male persons are reported to have went to that establishment and fired several shots. This resulted in the male person, namely the security guard being injured those male person then fled with two firearms being the property of the security company. We have since confirmed that the firearms that were recovered. Where in fact the firearm that belonged to the company. And as this investigation continues, it is anticipated that additional charges will be brought in relation to that particular incident.”

And as investigators dig deeper, police say more charges could follow as they work to pin down exactly what led to the violent attack outside the loan office.

The post Teens Charged in Bold Shooting of JL’s Security Guard first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

The post Caye Caulker Shooting Leads to Wild Pursuit first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

The post Armed Duo Targets Guard in Overnight Ambush first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Officers say they responded to reports of gunfire around 9:00 p.m. and later came upon a golf cart heading toward the local clinic. One man, identified as Dominic Castillo, was found injured with what appeared to be a gunshot wound to the back. 

He was treated at the clinic and later transferred to Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition.

Police also recovered a loaded 9mm pistol and detained 29-year-old Javan Moody in connection with the weapon.

Meanwhile, in Belize City, a separate shooting around 10:00 p.m. on Cleghorn Street left 49-year-old security guard Justo Pinelo injured. Two minors were detained in connection with the incident.

The post Late-Night Shooting in Caye Caulker Leaves One Man Hospitalised first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

Around 9:00 p.m. on February 10, officers responded to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where they found 27‑year‑old Ryan Thompson and 21‑year‑old Deon Gladden with gunshot wounds. Both men were reported in stable condition.

Investigators say the victims were “making their way onto West Canal when they heard several gunshots and later realised they had been shot.”

The post Two Men Injured in Belize City Shooting first appeared on Greater Belize Media.

On Saturday, February 7, Augustine fatally shot 24-year-old Luis Barillas and 43-year-old Derrick Arnold outside Barillas’ Queen Street home.

Police say the men were socialising at the residence when a gunman went to the gate and called out for Barillas. When Barillas and Arnold went to the front of the yard, the attacker opened fire. Arnold was hit multiple times, while Barillas sustained gunshot wounds to the head and face. Both men died from their injuries.

Possible motives under review include drug activity in the area and the disappearance of Canadian national Alfred Pliel.

The post Barber Charged in Punta Gorda Double Murder first appeared on Greater Belize Media.