Murder suspect turns himself in
He was singled out as one of Belize’s most wanted by the police high command at their Monday press briefing…and less than twenty-four hours later Michael Faux was behind bars. News Five’s Jacqueline Woods has the latest from an increasingly violent city.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Around ten this morning, eighteen-year-old Michael Faux in the company of police officers, including C.I.B. chief Chester Williams arrived at the Magistrate Court where Faux was formally charged with the murder of twenty-one year old Sydney Bradley. Faux, who has been a suspect since the crime occurred on Thursday, turned himself in on the advice of his family and attorney Simeon Sampson.
Sharon Augustus, Mother of Accused
?Well I decided to hand my son in to the police because every time the policeman they usually come to my house, if they even hear a gunshot, it noh have to be that my son did it, they come yah. And I noh want them to do nothing to my son that?s why I hand him in.?
Sonia Augustus, Grandmother
?A lot they hassle we for nothing because they know that we dah noh the type that wah encourage my grandson. That dah my grandson and I can?t cheat it. He is my grandson. Good or bad, he dah my grandson. (Crying) And I am sorry it happen like that.?
Sharon Augustus
?He mi want to go in, but we just had to find a lawyer to ker (take) him in because we noh want ker him in by himself because they wah beat up him because we know that dah what he usually go through when he go to the station.?
Sharon Augustus says she only knows that her son was not on West Canal at the time Bradley was shot because he was at another house. She does not believe Faux is involved despite the police claim that they have strong evidence that he is the killer. Sonia Augustus says she cannot speculate on what happened, but she sympathizes with the victim?s family and decided to do the responsible thing.
Sonia Augustus
?I am very sad about it right, about the Bradley family because me and the sister are very good friends. And when I hear they say that dah my grandson, Michael Faux, kill the lee bwai, I noh know. And dah so I ker my grandson to the lawyer to let him ker in my grandson to the station because I no want the policeman they have to beat him up.?
During Monday?s police press briefing, Williams told journalists they believe Faux killed Bradley over a previous misunderstanding. The Augustus family, though hinting that gang related activity may be involved, say they only know that the boys were friends and they are not aware of any ill feelings between them.
Sharon Augustus
?He and Sydney partly grew up, because they use to hang out together earlier in the days. But I noh know what happen when this gang thing…I noh know, dah just that.?
Jacqueline Woods
?How was Michael feeling once he knew that the police were looking for him in connection with this murder? What did he tell you??
Sharon Augustus
?Well we never know about no murder until the next morning when the girl passed and tell we that her brother get shot. But from Monday my son never deh yah. And so after that then–well in the news we hear that they call his name. And I tell ah that they call his name. So we tell him we can?t mek he just go in like that, we have to have somebody ker him in, and so my mother took him to the lawyer and he took him in.?
Faux has been remanded to the Hattieville prison until June twenty-first when he is scheduled to reappear in court. Jacqueline Woods for News Five.
It is not the first time that Faux has been in trouble with the law. When he was seventeen years old he was arrested and charged with the attempted murder of a fourteen-year-old. That matter is presently before the Family Court. The Augustus family claims that the boys were friends and that it was an accidental shooting.
