Three charged for harboring escaped prisoner Jose Melgar

Meselina Usher

Twenty two year old Jose Melgar, who escaped two weeks ago along with four others from the Hattieville Prison, was apprehended at the home of a Hattieville resident in the company of friends.  But it is the persons whose house he visited who are facing the charge of harbouring a criminal.  Thirty year-old Robert Mejia, along with twenty three year-old Miselina Usher and forty four year-old Darrell Lemott were all jointly charged with the offense.  Usher and Lemott pleaded not guilty and Mejia told the court that while Melgar was found at his house, he could not plead guilty because he was not harboring him.  Mejia said that a man who spoke Spanish came to his yard and was looking for a food vendor.  He said he told the man that there were no food vendors and further he had no knowledge that Melgar was an escapee.  He added that Melgar was not even at his yard for five minutes when the police arrived and arrested him and his friends.  The quick police response followed a 911 call to the Belize Police Department hotline by a neighbor who saw the news.  The trio was offered bail and ordered back to court on July twenty ninth.  Melgar and his fellow inmates escaped on Sunday, April twenty seventh after they cut open the lock of their cell area, roughed up the only security guard on duty at the time and made good their escape.  The only one who remains at large is Dennis Quilter.

Darrell Lemott

Robert Mejia