Two charged in Godfrey’s shooting
Word from Guatemala is guardedly optimistic about the chances of recovery for a grocer critically wounded last week in a robbery attempt. And here in Belize City, two young men have been arrested and charged for the crime. News 5’s Jacqueline Woods has more.
Jacqueline Woods, Reporting
Police say nineteen-year-old Louis Gillette of Oleander Street in Belize City is the young man who shot seventy-five year old shopkeeper Alvin Godfrey during an attempted hold-up at Godfrey’s Store in King’s Park. Authorities say their investigation reveal that on the evening of April twenty-ninth, Gillette walked into the store along with this other young man, twenty year old Kareem Molina of King Street. The men allegedly demanded money and shortly after, Gillette shot Godfrey in his face.
Russell Godfrey, Son
“Well I guess the family is waiting for any good news of the arrest of the ones that did the crime. Basically, we are just hoping that my dad can recover because it has really put a stress on the family. I mean my mom, we all more or less we know that it was going to happen someday, that we probably would have gotten rob, but we were hoping that this was not going to be the turn out. We are all taking it day by day basically and we have had a lot of support from the community, everyone has really been behind the family, sending their best wishes and fast recovery. I guess we are just trying it day by day as it goes.”
Ten days after the incident, the police charged Louis Gillette for the crimes of attempted murder, use of deadly means of harm, dangerous harm, attempted robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. Meanwhile, Kareem Molina has been charged with attempted robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery. As Gillette and Molina spend their days behind bars on remand at the Hattieville Prison, their victim remains hospitalised in Guatemala. Russell Godfrey, who has just returned from visiting with his dad, says he has been encouraged with the recovery.
Russell Godfrey
“The doctors there say they expect him to recover. Basically, the gunshot wound fractured his upper mandible, the bone in the jaw and they are expecting a full recovery, but with some months of recovery. He is conscious and breathing on his own. The doctors there are really taking very good care of him. I guess he is just waiting to come back home as well you know.”
Jacqueline Woods for News 5.
