Ronlee Petillo is Back Behind Bars; Police Investigate His Suspected Role in Another Deadly Shooting

Thirty-four-year-old Ronlee Petillo, a well-known affiliate of the George Street Gang, is back on remand at the Belize Central Prison after being detained by Belize City police on Thursday.  Petillo, a career criminal who has been charged for murder on two prior occasions, was arraigned in the magistrate’s court this morning on charges of rape and aggravated assault on two women on separate occasions.  He is also under investigation for his suspected role in the murder of sixty-two-year-old Emert Flowers earlier this week, as police believe that an internal feud between Petillo and Flowers’ son may have led to the shooting death of the tour guide.  Commissioner of Police Chester Williams told reporters this morning that Kyle Latchman, the individual who was being sought by his rivals, remains in hiding following the death of his father.

Chester Williams

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police

“Ronlee Petillo, I must say, was one of our most wanted prisoners.  He was being sought by the police for a complaint of rape, made by a female, as well as an allegation of an aggravated assault with a firearm, where he allegedly pulled a gun on someone.  He was being sought for a number of weeks now and police were unable to locate him.  When we had the murder of the elderly gentleman on Racecourse Street, Petillo’s name was called as a possible suspect and I made it clear, possible suspect, in that particular incident.  From what we were made to understand is that there may have been some internal rift within the George Street faction where the son of the now deceased gentleman may have had some issue with Petillo and his close associates and they may have been in search of the son and could not locate the son, and so the father paid the price.  That’s the information that we are getting at this time.  We believe that the incident indeed had to do with the son and while, yes, the son is missing, we don’t believe the son is dead.  We believe that he went into hiding because he knew that he was being sought by his own kind.”

Reporter

“We’re talking specifically about Kyle Latchman?”

Chester Williams

“Yes, Kyle Latchman.  So we believe that he went into hiding to avoid the wrath from his kind.  Moving forward, we anticipate that Petillo will be remanded to prison for the charges that he will be appearing in court for today and while he is in prison, we will further the investigation in respect to the murder, as well as the whole issue of levying gang charges because, again, we know that Petillo is a member of the George Street Gang.”