7 News Belize

PG Murder Highlights Gang Rivalry
posted (June 8, 2020)
Moving on to other news, there was a murder this weekend in Punta Gorda Town, which has been making the news more and more for incidences violent crime - the kind you used to mainly see in Belize City.

The victim this time is 31-year-old Sylvio Flores Jr., and at this time, police suspect that he was a casualty of an ongoing feud between two gang groups that have established a foothold in PG.

Police say that at 8:30 night, his killer whistled from the bushes; when Flores went to check, he was fatally shot:

ACP Joseph Myvette - Head, NCIB
"On Saturday night, sometime around 8:30 p.m., police responded to information of a shooting in the Pampana Street area of Punta Gorda Town. Upon arrival, they saw one Sylvio Flores with apparent gunshot injuries. He was then rushed to the Punta Gorda Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. What we know so far is that Mr. Flores was in the area visiting a friend, when he heard someone whistling from across the street. He came out from where he was, to see who it was, and that was when he received gunshot injuries. So far, we have one person detained in relation to this investigation."

"Yes, there has been a surge in crime in PG of recent, but the police have put strategies in place, and we have increased or operations, as well as patrols."

Police have detained 1 man, and a female minor for questioning about the murder of Sylvio Flores Jr.

We understand that the shooting happened in front of the home of a man directly related to a well-known police officer. Residents of PG have suggested that this suspect has allegedly been causing trouble in the town, but because of his relation to a cop, they believe that he is getting special treatment. We put that directly to the Police Commissioner this morning, and here's how that conversation went:

Reporter
"This particular crime may be connected to a relative of a police officer who has 'supposedly' been causing the town problems in the recent past. There is the suggestion that this person might enjoy some sort of preferential treatment because he's related to a police [officer]."

Chester Williams
"I don't know where that is coming from. I know, yes, that the person - one of the persons of interest is related to a police [officer]. But, I can tell you, categorically and emphatically, that the person and the police to whom he is related, they do not enjoy a relationship. I can tell you that for a fact. Yes, there is more, like I said, that the police need to do, and I discussed that just this morning with the Southern Regional Commander, in terms of the fact that Punta Gorda has only 2 groups giving trouble. They should be so easy to contain, but for some reason or the other, they have not been able to do so. And so, Commander of Operation, Mr. Vidal, has been tasked to see what is going on in Punta Gorda Town, and whatever adjustment we need to make, we'll have to make. It cannot be that 2 groups will have the police running around like chickens with no heads. It cannot happen. We have to do more. We have to do better."

The commissioner also made the point that personnel from the Conscious Youth Development Program have been heading to southern Belize to try to reach at-risk youths who are becoming too involved with the street life. According to Williams, they have made an impact in Dangriga, and he hopes that they will be able to make a successful intervention in PG as well.

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