7 News Belize

Arthur: A Brief History
posted (April 24, 2012)
When Arthur young was killed by the police on Sunday night at the entrance to Vista Del Mar - it ended the life of a legendary street figure.

At 38, Young had lived longer than anyone expected him to. After all, he had been in the streets since the 90's in the days of George Junie Balls Mckenzie.

Most of the gangsters from that time are either dead or retired from the life. But, despite his criminal history, and multitudes of enemies, Arthur young was a genius at re-invention and a master at survival.

He was also reputed to be a ruthless, fearless killer - who genuinely inspired fear in many from other gangs. And, he also knew how to pick his spots media-wise, meaning, over the years he gave a few interviews - which gangsters hardly ever do. But he lived by his own playbook - and that was apparent over the years - as the police repeatedly adjusted their operations to keep up with him.

Tonight, we look back at some of his public life - which is really his criminal history - to see the many changes he went through and put police through over the years:..

Jules Vasquez reporting
Arthur Young always came to the courthouse looking sharp, and the many styles we've captured him in is a testimony to two things: the obvious one: how many times he went to court - charged with murder twice, for firearms, many times, and once, for calling a police officer a fool. The second thing is not so obvious: how long he lived considering how many times rival groups had plotted to kill him - like this time in 2002

(July 18, 2002)
"Tulcey, it is believed, had connections to Arthur Young of the West Street Bloods. Young was taken into police custody today.

"There was reportedly a hit out on Young, and responding pro-actively, police took him into protective custody."

But his longevity was due in some part to the fact that at least twice, he absconded to the USA - for long periods - but was twice deported - this time in 2006 - when he skipped town after this 2002 canal side killing of Jose Chavarria - in which he was said to be the triggerman:

Chester Williams - OC - CIB
"Arthur Young was the suspect from the inception of the investigation. However he evaded the law in Belize by going into the United States."

And even then, there was the George Street rivalry:

Chester Williams - OC - CIB
"The motive seemed to have been a gang rivalry between the George Street and the Rocky Road people at the time."

"We have IC witnesses who saw him on the particular night in question, pulling the trigger, and firing the shot at the deceased."

But Young was never convicted - instead he got off on that murder months later - and the next time police caught him was with Kenneth Big Tom Flowers: they had weapons and someone from George Street had this grenade.

Nov 13, 2006
Crispin Jeffries

"Had we allowed them to engage each other, which we understand they were rivaling groups riding around, then it would have had some serious violent action in the streets of Belize City."

Police were able to defuse that situation - and then two months later, there was peace:

(January 2, 2007)
"Arthur Young, the prominent figure from Bak-a-town who's been much in the news recently today told our Jules Vasquez that his crew and George Street have arrived at a truce. Young told us that many things have happened in the past but now they are grown and determined to move on, peacefully."

But a few months later, Young was implicated in the murder of Kelvin Young, the son of his one time associate James Young. He was stabbed 25 times.

Nov 5, 2007
"Police are also seeking Arthur Young. Tonight he is at large and this wanted poster with his picture is being circulated countrywide."

But he was, again, in another country, an international fugitive, and it would be another two years before he resurfaced in Belize

(June 3, 2009)
"For two years he has been Belize's most wanted which is why it is big news tonight that the infamous Arthur Young is a fugitive no more."

"Today Arthur Young minus his trademark dreadlocks was deported from Houston for illegal entry."

(November 25, 2009)
"He was again remanded to prison for murder when this very important prisoner had a special audience with Shyne."

(January 20, 2010)
Two months later, in January of 2010 he got off that murder charge and by April of 2010, he was saying that police wanted to bring him up on bogus charges to kill him:

(April 6, 2010)
Arthur Young
"I am in hiding because I heard the police have a charge for me for something I am not involved with."

"See the police they feel that I am active in the streets and doing a lot of evil things but I am not. They see me as a mob or something which I am not."

"I am telling you my word as a man I don't do none of those things and I am telling the public the same way. I am not saying am an angel but I just protect myself and defend myself."

"The way I see it right now, if I meet up to the police, if they meet me in a spot I think they are going to try to kill me."

"The police force is trying to kill me for ever so long. For what, I don't know."

And so he went on the run, but this time he didn't get past Chetumal:

(May 10, 2010)
Arthur Young was caught yesterday morning trying to get pass immigration authorities in that country with a fake passport. The report says he was detained at the Chetumal International Airport yesterday morning. He was trying to use a false passport to board a flight bound for Mexico City.

He confessed that he was trying to reach the USA, since he was accused of crimes that he had not committed and he was afraid of being incarcerated unjustly by the Belizean authorities.

By July he was back in Belize and charged again - but again got off the charge - and after that was brought up on two nuisance charges by police - until he became the victim of vicious batons. Then in March young came out prominently as the boss of Taylor's Alley:

Arthur Young
"Before you reach on the ground the officer started to beat us up. They kicked us and stomped us in the face and they threatened us."

"I can guarantee that I am not an evil person along with the fellas. We don't start anything and don't try to instigate any "I can guarantee that I am not an evil person along with the fellas. We don't start anything and don't try to instigate any problems. Now the police tell me that I am the one who brings the guys out here, and I am the one who has them doing the extra work here. They don't know me, and they don't know my heart. I have love. You can't deal with a person's character from the past because everyone can change. I am in the streets and will forever be in the streets because if I am not here then more things can happen that weren't supposed to happen."

And that's when Young gave the chilling warning - or threat - that may have signed his death warrant:

Arthur Young
"I don't know who are dealing with the GSU but GSU have to know that we know where they live and we know where their woman lives and we know their children. We know everything, so if they are trying to turn us into a monster they have to watch out because if we turn into a monster then there would be a lot of bloodshed, and we don't want to do that."

Whether that less-than-subtle threat to the GSU had anything to do with his death is not known. If he was killed extra judicially, he joins the ranks of Kirk Psycho Thompson, Mark T-Dog Stuart, Winty Mangar, and Heathcliff Reyes. Police have not disclosed what unit arrested and eventually shot him on Sunday night.

According to reliable sources, key players form the George Street Gang were also intercepted by police in Ladyville on Sunday night.


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