Angel Dorado Arraigned for Gang Membership

Angel Dorado

Today, thirty-four-year-old Angel Dorado and nineteen-year-old Shaquille Baeza appeared in the courtroom of Magistrate Herbert Panton. The men, residents of the Mile Eight community, were charged separately for gang offences. Dorado was charged for professing to be a member of a gang, while Baeza was charged for displaying gang membership. Both men pleaded not guilty. Dorado was offered bail in the sum of five hundred dollars, plus a surety in the same amount. Our News Five freelancer spoke to him as he exited the courtroom.

Angel Dorado, Charged for Gang Affiliation

“The Police charge me for this they say it’s a gang tattoo “OG”. I am a target at eight miles. I was detained from ten o’clock yesterday until just now tw0 o’clock. They say I am a member of a gang but I thirty-four I done come out them stages, I am in no gang.”

Reporter

“Do you know Shaquille Baeza?”

Angel Dorado

“Yes, I know him, he is from eight miles as well. I noh go round George Street. I am from the Mesopotamia area, but I tell the police that when I go to jail I need to go with the people from the Mesopotamia area and they are bloods so I have to go with the bloods even though I am not a part of the gang. See this is a gun tattoo; I noh have no twenties nor thirties. I have one thug life” but then I noh associate with gang. They just charge me for anything, they say that we don’t do crime, we humble, we work hard. This is the first one for the gang but I am not in a gang. I need to stay in my spot. I don’t work I am just a common labourer. I have been convicted before but that da fih like weed and so.”

Shaquille Baeza is tonight remanded at the Belize Central Prison. He was before the Magistrate on a weed possession charge recently, and ordered to do a hundred hours a community service. One of the conditions is that he does not commit any offence while serving that sentence.