Senator’s plane broken into

The Belize Audubon Society’s thirtieth anniversary walk-a-thon and celebration at the Guanacaste National Park may have run smoothly, but the day was marred by an incident involving Senator Barry Bowen. According to Belmopan police, Bowen who delivered the main address at the function, had flown his plane down from Gallon Jug and landed the aircraft at the Capital’s airstrip. He left Jose Luis Monroy in charge of the plane and went to deliver his speech. Police say some time later Philip Balderamos spotted someone near the plane and told Bowen and B.A.S.’s Mickey Craig. Police say when Bowen and Craig arrived on the scene Monroy was holding a bloody machete and a man was inside the plane. Monroy reported that the man, identified as twenty-three year old Kenton Hyde approached him and tried to attack him with his bare hands. It is then Monroy said he pulled out his machete to defend himself. Hyde grabbed the metal machete but cut his hand badly when Monroy pulled away the weapon. Hyde then ran to the plane, breaking the pilot’s door to get inside. Hyde is reported to have tampered with the plane’s communication system, damaging the controls. Police say Hyde finally made a run for it, heading towards the highway, but Craig was in hot pursuit. He caught up with Hyde who was held until police arrived. Police say Hyde, who is from Roaring Creek, will be charged with criminal damage.