But the reduced number of homicides masks the fact that violence, especially gun violence remains very prevalent in Belize. One man who knows well about that is Reynaldo Verde. In April of 2013, he was remanded for attempted murder, after he shot a man in San Pedro. It was the second time the senior sales tax employee was remanded for attempted murder. But in 2013, the victim asked not to press charges, so he got off.
And he got off today too, in a case that for most average folks would result in automatic remand and at least 15 days in jail. Acting on information this morning at 6:00 police searched Verde's home off Faber's Road and found a Glock 380 pistol in the washroom. Police say he has two gun licenses but none for that weapon, and so he was taken to the police station pending charges.
Usually, those are pretty much automatic, but in this case, Verde had the ear of senior police officers who listened to the senior sales tax collector when he told them he had been set up and that the gun had been planted.
Verde told the police that he and neighbors heard a disturbance around his house at 1:00 this morning. Police searched the area and found footprints near a back fence near the washroom where the gun was found. They also found that the fence had been disturbed.
With that a decision was made at very senior levels to let Verde off without charges - which considering Belize's stiff gun laws is fairly remarkable. Superintendent Alford Grinage who is responsible for precinct two told us this evening that the investigation is still open, even though they have decided not to charge Verde at this time. He says they are collecting statements from neighbors who also heard the disturbance, and they will be getting fingerprints from the scene.
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