Elderly Man Freed of Sexual Assault Charge

Felipe Santiago Montejo

Well known Belizean tailor, sixty-six year old Felipe Santiago Montejo, is a free man tonight after the charge of sexual assault of a minor was struck out in court today. Montejo’s trial was set for this morning before the Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith. He was accused of molesting a fourteen year old girl back in November of 2015 but instead of proceeding with the trial, the father of the teen took the stand and informed the court and they wish no further court action against the accused. The father took the stand and stated: “We have turn to God and has put everything into Gods hand so God could deal with him.” While the father has “put everything in God’s hands,” the court had no other way to prosecute Montejo further.   Prosecutor, Sergeant Carmen Selgado had to concede and since he could not offer any further evidence against Montejo in the matter, the Chief Magistrate struck out the case for want of prosecution. On November eleven, 2015, the senior citizen was taken to the Belize City Magistrates Court to answer to a single charge of sexual assault upon the fourteen year old girl. The child alleges that sometime in the month of August 2015 between three and four in the afternoon, she visited Montejo at the Golden Scissors Tailor Shop to get some help with her homework. Montejo, also a former educator, instructed her to unbutton her school uniform and touched her on her private parts. Typically, persons accused of such an act on a child are denied bail and are remanded to the Belize Central Prison; but, Montejo was granted bail of two thousand five hundred dollars. He was also ordered to surrender his travel documents and was ordered by the court to not interfere with the victim. As we stated earlier, though, the case was struck out and now Montejo is a free man.