7 News Belize

Dummy Grenade Thrown At Woman's Home; Says House Also Been Shot
posted (June 11, 2012)
One situation the police definitely did not have in hand - was the case of a grenade thrown at a house near Bank Street. Fortunately it did not explode - but it was clearly not meant to alarm the members of the house, it was intended to kill.

And we know that because the homeowner told us today that multiple attacks have been made on her home recently. Here's the story:..

Inspector Fitzroy Yearwood - Police Press Officer
"Police also visited a residence, the residence of Patrick Jones - a known member of the Pregnant Alley group - on Banak Street, where they found what is known as dummy grenade."

Jules Vasquez reporting
This is the impression left by the grenade when it was stoned at the plycem house on Cedar Street - which is off Logwood Street.

Euandice Jones was inside when she heard the bang. She asked to appear off camera

Voice of: Eaundice Jones - Resident of Targeted Home
"About 10:30 to 11 o'clock, I heard a loud bang on the side of the house, and I knew that the sound wasn't a gun, but it wasn't an ordinary stone either. Right away, I picked up my phone, and I called the police, and immediately after that, I put down the phone. My neighbor called me and told me that she saw 2 guys on the street. She said that they fiddled with something, and they threw at my yard. I called the police about 8 times before they came, and it was on the ground for almost an hour."

When the BDF came they found what's known as a dummy grenade - the type used in training:

Lt. Col. James Requena - BDF Explosives Expert
"Upon my arrival, I noticed that it was a training device, not an actual high explosive, and the reason that I say that I noticed, is because high explosives have a distinctive olive green color, with either a yellow or red marking. This was neither of those. It was a practice hand grenade that is used within military organizations across the world, to simulate an actual grenade. It has all the features, except the color, and it has no explosives within. It was thrown - it has all the features of a regular grenade - the fly-off lever came off; the safety pin - everything. However, it did not operate the way it should because the fuse within was corroded."

Jules Vasquez
"Ma'am, why would they throw something like this at your house?"

Voice of: Eaundice Jones - Resident of Targeted Home
"That's what I am trying hard to find out. Last week Friday, before this, they came and shot 2 gunshots on my house. I don't know what's the reason why, and I would want to know what is the reason why they are targeting me."

Jules Vasquez
"The talking out there is that it has to do with your son; they are after 'Pato'."

Voice of: Eaundice Jones - Resident of Targeted Home
"Yes, but they don't live here."

Jules Vasquez
"And have you spoken with your son?"

Voice of: Eaundice Jones - Resident of Targeted Home
"Yes, I did."

Jules Vasquez
"And, does he know why anyone who be targeting you?"

Voice of: Eaundice Jones - Resident of Targeted Home
"Well, just like in the street in other times, like the gang thing, that's what he told me."

That was Friday the first, this Friday 8th, it was a grenade and two months ago they tried to burn down her house - by putting a lighted torch through her window

Jules Vasquez
"Do you have 'beef' with anybody?"

Voice of: Eaundice Jones - Resident of Targeted Home
"I don't have 'beef' with anybody, Jules. I am from work, to home, to church."

Jules Vasquez
"Are you angry? Who do you get angry with in this situation? These people are terrorizing you."

Voice of: Eaundice Jones - Resident of Targeted Home
"Well, as the case is, I have to be angry with who did it because whoever it is, I have no kind of retaliation, or no kinds of things concerning them."

Jules Vasquez
"Since you don't have any 'beef' with anyone, are you of the mind or the thinking that they are doing it to try get to your son, Patrick?"

Voice of: Eaundice Jones - Resident of Targeted Home
"But, if they want to get to my son, Patrick, they know where he is. Why don't they visit him, if they want to get to him? I am not where he is. If they want to fight fire with fire, let them fight with him. I am not in it."

And now, as this mother lives in sustained terror, one wonders, how could this training grenade end up on the street?:

Lt. Col. James Requena
"There are several ways this could have been retrieved. It could have fallen from someone on training, coming out of Mountain Pine Ridge, and someone could have retrieved it from the training area. As you know, the Mountain Pine Ridge Area can be accessible by various means: by foot through the Sibun, across Victoria Peak if you're trekking, or through the gate. And there is no official check there by the military or police to check vehicles or anything coming out of the training area. Now, for us in the BDF, at the end of any training, a declaration is made that we have no live rounds, empty casing, or pyrotechnics. And the soldiers are told that if they are found with it, they can be charged for having in possession something used in training exercises. This could have fallen from someone, unknown to him, and when you're on training, and trekking the jungle for 6 days, you tend to lose kit. And if it is something that is not very important, you won't report it so that you will be charged."

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize