Convicted police officer to be sentenced Monday

A police officer convicted of manslaughter appeared in Belize City Supreme Court today for mitigation plea hearings. Sheldon Arzu and his attorney Linsbert Willis appeared before Justice Troadio Gonzalez and argued that the jury opted to go with the charge of manslaughter as opposed to murder, giving credence to the assertion that the shooting was not premeditated. Arzu was convicted on November twenty-fourth in connection with the death of Ruben “Pony” Alarcon in June 2003. At the time of the incident, Arzu was a police officer working at the Caye Caulker Station. From the bench Gonzalez declared that since Arzu had no previous criminal record and in order not to make a hasty decision, sentencing would be deferred until December fifth.