Tonight, 3 more men have been criminally charged in connection with the armed home invasion and rape at Lebanese Diplomat Sarkis Abou Nahra's mansion, which happened last week Thursday. They are now in jail on remand, and 3 of the 9 accused who had been in jail since Monday, are out tonight on Supreme Court bail.
We'll have all the details for you, but first, we start with the latest developments which have led to charges against 3 new suspects.
Investigators from Eastern Division Rural have been on overdrive since last Friday, teaming up with the Gang Suppression Unit, the Mobile Interdiction Team, the Anti-Drug Unit, and the K9 Unit to conduct sustained raids. And it worked.
Today, the Commander of the Eastern Division Rural updated the press on the success they've had with the recovery of stolen items:
Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"We executed searches on #88 Cemetery Road; we executed search warrants on the premises at #119 Police Street in Belize City; we also executed searches on #8272 Jones Street; we executed searches on #8089 Miller Street as well as #8279 Miller Street; we executed a search at the corner of Central American Boulevard and Jane Usher and we also executed search at #391 Mayflower Crescent Lake Garden area in the Ladyville area. As a result of those searches, we have charged Jerry Bulwer, 20 years old, for abetment to commit aggravated burglary. We also charged Mark Pitts, 18 years old, for handling stolen goods and we've also charge Paul Jex for handling stolen goods."
"Now, yesterday late we had some other developments where we recovered some more stolen items that were stolen from the premises and other charges will be laid on some other individuals sometime during the day today. Nevertheless, we have recovered an assortment of liquor. We recovered 2 rings that were identified by the consular wife - a necklace."
"We also recovered the black car, the Honda Accord that was used in the aggravated burglary and that vehicle is in our custody and has been processed for prints and other evidence."
Yesterday, police made the biggest discovery yet, which has now cracked the case wide open. As we told you, the DIGITAL VIDEO RECORDER, which was the center of the estate's surveillance system, was stolen by the 8 armed thieves. But, they didn't erase the surveillance footage which recorded their every move in the house. That's evidence which puts them at the scene committing the crime - all caught on camera, and it is now in the hands of police. So, this single act of carelessness may have gift wrapped their conviction for police. Today, we discussed the implications of this footage with Senior Superintendent Broaster:
Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"We recovered the DVR that was stolen from the premises. It is in good shape. It is assisting us tremendously. It have the footage of the burglary when it was transpired. As a matter of fact the burglars thought that they disconnected the DVR and realize that it was not the DVR they had in their possession and then they went and they disconnected the DVR and they stole it. Nevertheless we recovered it, it is in good shape. We have already taken the evidence off it. We retrieve the footage off it."
Daniel Ortiz
"That surveillance footage that you have happen on fortunately. Will that be used as evidence against the men you charged?"
Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"Yes."
Daniel Ortiz
"Are you 100% sure that the persons you've charged are the persons in deed who committed this robbery, aggravated burglary?"
Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"Yes."
Daniel Ortiz
"Has the footage confirm that for you all?"
Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"The footage confirmed certain things that I will not go into at this time."
Reporter
"Have an identification parade been conducted and I speak more specifically about the rape."
Sr. Supt. Edward Broaster - OC, Eastern Division Rural
"There was an ID conducted. Hence the reason why we prefer the charges that we did as it pertain to the rape."
So, now, we get back to the 3 new accused persons, they are: 20 year-old Jeffrey Buller, 18 year old Malik Pitts and 20 year old Paul Jex Jr. They were arraigned today before Senior Magistrate Sharon Frazer. Buller was charged with abetment to commit aggravated burglary, while Pitts and Jex were charged with handling stolen goods.
Court details are that Buller assisted the other accused person in the commission of the home invasion. Pitts is charged for handling one silver ring and one gold ring, both stolen in from the Abou Nehra estate. Jex was charged for handling 4 silver rings stolen in that crime, and it appears that he was the one caught with the DVR equipment which had the incriminating surveillance footage still stored on it. They were all denied bail and remanded into custody until January 14, 2016.
23 year-old Coast Guard Officer Randolph Coleman, 19 year-old Ashanti Roaches, and 23 year-old Crystal Augustine were granted Supreme Court bail when their attorneys took applications on their behalf before Justice Herbert Lord. Coleman was offered bail of $10,000, while the two women were offered bail of $3,000.
The six stolen firearms belonging to Sarkis Abou-Nehra are still in the hands of criminals, and the police continue to request your help in trying to recover them. A reward is still being offered for information leading to their recovery.
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