American couple charged for illegal firearm/ammo
A couple of fire victims had their problems compounded when they were arrested on firearm charges. On Tuesday, U.S. nationals fifty-three year old Robert Jones and his wife, fifty year old Tammy Lee Jones, both of Arizona, checked into the Diamond Hotel at mile four on the Northern Highway, leaving the trailer house they drove down from the states in the parking lot. Around seven on Thursday night, the hotel’s owner noticed that the trailer was ablaze and notified the owners. The fire service responded, but suspicions arose when what sounded like shots were heard coming from the fire. After the flames were extinguished, police conducted a check of the camper and discovered a point thirty-two pistol with four rounds inside; a nine millimeter glock and seventy rounds, as well as thirty empty nine-millimeter slugs which are suspected to have gone off during the fire. The husband and wife were both detained and this morning they appeared in court to answer to two counts each of Keeping Unlicensed Firearm and Keeping Unlicensed Ammunition. They pleaded not guilty and were remanded into custody until February fourth. In court today, Robert Jones told Chief Magistrate Margaret McKenzie that his wife is disabled, suffering from Parkinson’s disease. Jones also says they decided to move to Belize after he lost his job and their home. As for the blaze, the fire service believes it started in the refrigerator.
Police also recovered three more firearms in Dangriga and Orange Walk. On Wednesday, cops in the culture capital searched the Silk Grass Village home of La Belle and Auriel Saucier. In the residence, they found a point twenty-two Beretta and an accompanying six bullets as well as a twenty-two revolver and five live rounds. Both were charged with Kept Firearm and Ammunition without a License. Later that same morning, police in the north were conducting patrols in San Felipe Village when they stopped by a yard and searched Israel Angeles. On his person, the police say they found forty-seven point twenty-two bullets and when they looked in the house, discovered a point twenty-two bolt action rifle.
