7 News Belize

9 Charged For Home Invasion, Burglary, Rape At Diplomat’s Home
posted (December 7, 2015)
On Friday night's news, we told you about the brutal home invasion at Lebanese Diplomat Sarkis Abou Nehra's estate just outside of Burrell Boom Village. Well tonight, police have arrested and charged 9 persons - including 3 females - all from Belize City. Tonight, they are spending their first night on remand at the Belize Central Prison.

We'll show you these accused persons, but first we'll take back Abou Nehra's home where police started their investigation and made a crucial break in the case this weekend. Daniel Ortiz has that story:

Daniel Ortiz reporting
Since the home invasion of Lebanese Diplomat Sarkis Abou-Nehra, Ladyville police have made great progress in the investigation. That has resulted in the arrest of several Belize City men.

Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"We went into overdrive with respect to the investigation into this aggravated burglary. We have arrested and charged John Grinage, Jerson Grinage, Brandon Baptist, Sheldon Grinage and Randalph Coleman, along with Tyrone Meighan jointly for the crime of aggravated burglary, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, conspiracy to commit rape, handling stolen goods and theft. Separately, Tryone Meighan was charged for rape. Kemira Cacho, Crystal Augustine, Ashanti Roches and all others mentioned before were likewise charged for handling stolen goods. All of them are from Police Street, Belize City south side."

Daniel Ortiz
"Do you believe they are all gang related?"

Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"Well, they are gang affiliates yes."

Police cracked the case when they searched this vehicle, which led to the recovery of several stolen items.

Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"By Friday night, one of our police officer who was patrolling very observant I must add, caused our patrol to intercept a vehicle and that vehicle when intercepted or the individuals that were intercepted at the Blue's Bar started a snowball where the vehicle, a Vitara was intercepted and searches was made of that vehicle and stolen items from the aggravated burglary were found in that vehicle. Since that interception, the leads start falling into place."

So, how did this crime unfold exactly?

Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"Through the investigation conducted we learned that surveillance were being conducted on this premises and that is how they were able to execute the aggravated burglary that they did."

Inspector Juanito Cocom - OC, Ladyville Police
"They entered the compound to visit. One person was there first."

Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"As a matter of fact when they first initially entered the compound they were unmasked."

Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC, CIB Eastern Div
"At some point when they entered the compound they held us the caretaker and his wife at gunpoint. They then proceeded to retrieve some tools at which point they broke into the house, damage the front door and then they proceeded to ransack the entire building. Some safes were broken into - they cut through the metal safes. They were there for a couple hours and they stole the items that were mentioned."

Daniel Ortiz
"And during that time, the sexual assault happened as well?"

Supt. Hilberto Romero - OC, CIB Eastern Div
"At some point during the time they were there the sexual assault occurred."

Inspector Juanito Cocom - OC, Ladyville Police
"I like to mention also that they made off with the surveillance DVR, the brain of the surveillance equipment."

Police also made the point that there was no preventing this crime because different quick response teams had continuously followed up on calls of suspicious activity prior to the frightening home invasion.

Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"On Wednesday around 11am, our patrol intercepted two individuals; Lynn Grinage and Adrian Avaloy and they had stop them and interviewed them and search them and they headed back to Belize City. Subsequent later on in that day we learnt that they came back into the Ladyville area and our patrol. Through the intelligence gathered, searched the Ladyville area for them and did not find them. On Thursday, around 6:30pm, due to the "see something, say something, stop something" campaign that we are mounting in our area, our police intercepted a black Honda Accord car which had in two suspects that were arrested in this incident claiming that their vehicle was overheating and they were repairing it. Nevertheless they were questioned, their vehicle was checked and searched and they were released. When we received an information again, because of "see something, say something, stop something" campaign, our rural rapid response went into the area of Burrell Boom and met with some of the residents in that area and checked in the area. A call was placed to the caretaker's wife where we now learned that she was under duress when she told us that she was at church. Apparently, she was being held at gunpoint at that time to make that statement."

Those accused persons who police believed were the assailants in the home invasion once again are 26 year-old John Grinage, 23 year-old Jerson Grinage, 24 year-old Sheldon Grinage, 30 year-old Brandon Baptist, and 22 year-old Coast Guard Officer Randalph Coleman. They have all been jointly charged with aggravated burglary, conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary, and conspiracy to commit rape. Additionally, 22 year-old Tyrone Meighan - not his brother Ellis as we said earlier - has been charged with the rape of the caretaker's wife. As we told you the Lebanese diplomat was not in Belize at the time of this crime, but police say that these 6 men breeched the compound and tied up the caretaker and his wife.

The caretaker was savagely beaten, and his wife was raped during the hours that the men had them subdued so that they could clean out the place. Police say that Tyrone Meighan who raped her.

Additionally, police have arrested and charged 19 year-old Ashanti Roches, 24 year-old Kemira Cacho, and 24 year-old Crystal Augustine with handling stolen goods.

All 9 defendants were arraigned today before the Chief Magistrate, and due to the nature of the offences, they were all denied bail, and remanded to the Belize Central Prison until January 14, 2016.

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