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A 2 year old girl was apparently beaten to death and 4 days later someone has been charged for it. Today twenty year old Dana Banner was taken over to Magistrate’s Court where she was formally arraigned on the charge of manslaughter. Sometime between May seventh and the eighteenth Banner is alleged to have caused injuries that led to the death of two year old Vernice Rodriquez Gonzales. Banner has reportedly told police that she did beat the child with a belt. Why? Well she has not been saying much to the authorities and it is still not known what transpired at the home in Ladyville prior to the child being brought to the hospital on Sunday – in a battered condition.

The police prosecutor objected to bail, explaining that while everyone is innocent until proven guilty, the victim is only two years old. The prosecutor added that there is a legitimate risk that the accused will interfere with possible witnesses in the case. Requesting bail, Dana Banner showed no sign of remorse, and simply said that she should be given bail because, “ I never hit the young gial in her head the way they said I did and I want to spend time with my daughter.” Banner’s daughter is one year old.

Bail was denied and Dana Banner has been remanded to Hattieville Prison. The case is being investigated by Belize City Crimes Investigation Branch. The officer in charge is Aaron Guzman.

Jacqueline Godwin,
Do the police have sufficient evidence that you believe will bring about a conviction in this case?

Supt. Aaron Guzman, CIB
“Jackie I don’t know that for any case until it has concluded, we can say we have enough evidence to bring about a conviction. What we do believe after consultation with the DPP’s office is that at this stage, the evidence was enough to effect an arrest, and as we were advised, it was for manslaughter. As you saw Ms. Banner was taken to court on a charge of manslaughter. So based on what we have and we presented to the DPP’s office, that was the advice we got and that is the way we went.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
What injuries did little Vernice Rodriquez sustain?

Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“Well as the police report indicate originally, we saw what we believe were bruises or marks on different parts of her body. During the post mortem the doctor reported also from the post mortem that some blunt instrument hit the head. We also saw other injuries on her. Some reports suggest how she got them, including a scar on one of her lower leg.”

Jacqueline Godwin,
How do you feel that in this instance, bail was not granted?

Supt. Aaron Guzman,
“As a father I think that bail should not have been granted, as a police officer then I would not answer that question.”

Dana Banner has been remanded to Hattieville Prison until June twentieth. As for her boyfriend who police had detained for questioning, he has since been released.