Retired businessman found guilty of manslaughter

Orlando Espejo

In court news, seven witnesses were called and a jury deliberated for about three hours in the case against seventy-four year old Orlando Espejo aka Landy, which ended today. The retired businessman was found guilty of Manslaughter by Negligence and Negligent Grievous Harm. The charges arose after a traffic accident on June thirteenth, 2009 in which twenty-nine year old Vicente Rivera was killed and his common-law wife, Jamilet Rubio suffered a fractured sternum and pelvis, but survived. Espejo also took the stand during trial and testified that he was heading to Orange Walk for a function and in the area of Gardenia Village, he noticed an Isuzu D-Max pickup heading toward him in the wrong lane. According to Espejo, he tried to avoid the accident, but they shifted lanes at the same time and collided in the middle of the road. Sentencing has been deferred until next Monday and because of Espejo’s age he was not remanded, but is out on bail.