Charges dropped in Orange Walk murder case

While another has been arrested for a crime in November, two men accused of shooting Orange Walk businessman Armando “Warren” Gomez in front of his home in April have had their murder charges withdrawn. The Director of Public Prosecutions Adolf Lucas this week indicated to Magistrate Dorothy Flowers that there was insufficient evidence against Alex “Lexus” O’Brien and Charles “Pongo” Stevens. The pair turned themselves into police in May. Witnesses reported that Gomez was shot by the occupant of a pickup truck that pulled up to the gate of his home. Gomez died several days later. The D.P.P.’s examination of the police files on the murder of shopkeeper Lee Yon Chong in Belize City in March also lead him to recommend that charges be dropped against four of the seven men accused of involvement in the killing. Alex Goff, Carlos Escalante, Francis Pollard and David Sutherland were released but Elvis Rosado, Jerry Usher and Ashton Belgrave remain on remand at Hattieville and will stand trial.