Children missing; business burned; local psychic didn’t predict charge
It’s day eight and the disappearance of two siblings from San Marcos, Toledo remains a mystery. Since Monday police have been scouring the area, but up to news time, there are still no solid leads as to what could have happened to Onelia and Benjamin Rash, two school aged children who went missing on August thirtieth. On Sunday, a group of angry villagers set ablaze a crocodile sanctuary owned by a US couple. This was fuelled by telltale predictions from a local psychic who has now been charged. The focus of the search for the Rash children has shifted to the arson of the sanctuary and the story has caught the attention of the international media. News Five’s Isani Cayetano reports.
Isani Cayetano, Reporting
benjamin rash
The ruins of what was once a million dollar investment developed to protect local crocodile species a few miles northeast of Punta Gorda Town remains under heavy police and military guard. The American Crocodile Education Sanctuary, founded by Vincent and Cherie Rose, was reduced to ashes on Sunday by a gang of angry villagers in search of two missing children. The busload of men armed with rifles and machetes entered the property on the advice of a soothsayer. Despite not finding Benjamin and Oneila Rash they set the place ablaze. The oracle however, has since led many to believe that the Roses absconded from the United States as fugitives of the law. Vincent Rose has flatly denied those allegations.
oneila rash
Vincent Rose, Owner, ACES
“We didn’t move here running away from something. We came here to help and to build a beautiful education facility and tourism facility for Toledo and that’s where we chose to move and build it all.”
But Rose did not get to enjoy the fruits of his labor. Instead he has been tried in the court of public opinion for allegedly abducting the children to feed his crocodiles. Rumors of his hatred for children have been spreading throughout the village of San Marcos like wildfire.
Marcos Choc, Resident, San Marcos Village
“Well I’m a tour guide and I work with these people and I spoke to Vince and Vince is a guy [who] told me that he hates children, he hates kids right. So that is why I’m putting my; I’m saying that he’s the one doing it.”
Furthermore Rose has been found guilty by a jury of his peers for committing that crime simply based on a psychic reading.
vincent rose
Vincent Rose
“It’s the stupidest thing you ever heard of and so is how that [uh], how it came to be. I guess it came from a psychic?”
That woman, forty-two year old Delfina Alvarez, has since been arrested and charged by Punta Gorda Police for the crime of pretending to be a fortune teller. She has pleaded not guilty and was granted bail in the sum of one thousand, five hundred dollars. The fine however, does not compare to the damage that has been done to Rose’s lifelong investment.
Vincent Rose
“They misunderstood everything. They went on a wrong tangent and went against the law and as far as I’m concerned all they’ve done is done a terrorist act in your country Belize.”
The callousness with which the villagers destroyed Rose’s property has completely eclipsed the ongoing search effort to locate the missing children. Today makes a week and a day and they have not returned home. Assisting Punta Gorda police every step of the way is Senator Pulcheria Teul.
Pulcheria Teul
Senator Pulcheria Teul, Exec. Dir. Toledo Maya Women’s Council
“We have been working since Thursday morning with the police here in Punta Gorda [Uhm] especially with Mr. Mariano, the superintendent. We have also made visits to the family in San Marcos in trying to give some comfort to the family and some reassurance that we will do everything possible to recover the children.”
Those efforts are yet to prove successful. Punta Gorda police, over the past forty-eight hours have arrested and detained one individual whom they say had photographs of Benjamin and Oneila Rash on the day they went missing. Further investigation however, could not confirm his involvement in their disappearance. He has since been released.
The burning question for most has to be the reason why these children were allowed to venture twelve miles away from home to sell fruits.
Pedro Rash, Father of Missing Children
“Well, I told them already, I told their mother that they don’t have to go again because school would be open Wednesday. I told them start to prepare and pack your books but kids like they usually go from the market and sell noh. But that is just the second time they come off from Hopeville and sell.”
Delfina Alvarez Selgado
Punta Gorda Police are investigating both the disappearance of nine year old Oneila and Benjamin Rash as well as the arson of American Crocodile Education Sanctuary separately and no closer to finding the children or the suspected arsonists. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.
Cherie Rose was vice president of the local Belize Tourism Industry Association chapter but resigned after she and her husband were forced to leave the Toledo District following death threats by angry villagers. The B.T.I.A. today issued a press release expressing its unity with the Roses. As such, the organization has established an account at the Belize Bank to assist in providing financial support for the displaced family. Anyone wishing to make a donation can do so by making a deposit to Belize Bank account number 630-1-1-10130, the “Vince and Cherie Rose Fire Victim” account.
she should be also charged with conspiracy to commit murder and for aiding the arson criminal…why? because if the American couple where there, they would surely have died in the fire…it would be murder and arson at the same time
in addition, the parents of the children should be charged for negligence and child exploitation..no children should be working, and even worse, without the supervision of an adult…
I hope the government makes a STRONG response to this terrorist — and utterly stupid! — act.
Who will invest in Belize if superstitious people destroy the investment and are not punished forcefully?
Belize needs to welcome foreign investment to provide good jobs for the people. Acts like this will keep Belize in poverty for a long, long time.
What madness! I hope the people refocus their energy at finding these children… this does not look right, why would the person who has been released have pictures of the children? that does not make sense! The family must be in agony at this loss, I hope that they are not being offered empty words but swift action to comb the bushes, and rivers and every house – two kids don’t just go missing – NONSENSE!
It is bad enough that the city is under siege.This story makes us look like a bunch of inbred ignoramuses on a witch hunt. Are we imploding?.
“Furthermore Rose has been found guilty by a jury of his peers for committing that crime simply based on a psychic reading.”
I respectfully disagree: the people’ judging him guilty’ are anything BUT his peers.
The police superintendent in PG d bakup dat idiot american. He should be ashamed dis is not his country, v r d grass root of dis country, he deserves a bullet to his head. the investigating team need to tighten up. dat american is d 1 who knows about these angels disappearance.
One look at Delfina and one can tell that she is a terrorist, but thank goodness Delfina did not lost her complete mind and gutted the alligators to find evidence. This woman should be charged just like any other criminal for what she did.
Anyway, the people of that community should not stray away from what is the most important issue here, “TWO KIDS ARE STILL MISSING”.
So why hasn’t the parent been charged as yet for neglect or something else? Which parent in their right sense of mine will allowed two kids to travel almost twelve miles to go sell fruits. Why were they not with an adult? WHY? Something is mentally wrong with the parent of these misssing children AND DEFINATELY CHARGES SHOULD BE LEVIED AGAINST THEM.
Also each person involved in the arson of the sanctuary should be held accountable….for believing some pyhco story .
This is absurd. Events like these make me very ashame to be called ‘Belizean’. What we Belizeans don’t realise is that we are a poor nation and when investors choose our country to invest their money and expertise we really don’t fully comprehend and appreciate what this entails. They could choose many other countries around the world but they choose our land. We look at these people with great envy, and suspicion instead of grasping opportunity to develop ourselves and work alongside them in developing our nation. Think about the skills we’d gained, the job opportunities, lifting many families out of poverty, the money which come in to (places like Punta Gorda) from Tourism.
If these people firmly believed these children were abducted by this couple why wasn’t the police informed? Infact they searched the premises for themselves and found nothing, nada. Yet they went on to destroy this well established business. This is one example of when a nation is poorly educated, this is how they would behave. Furthermore, why aren’t we addressing the negligence of the parents allowing 9 and 11 years old children to travel on their own. The witch and the criminals need to spend some significant amount of time in jail, as this couple will never be able to claim even 25% of their losses from these idiots in damages.
What about innocent until proven guilty? Belizeans really? This not about being a foreigner, black or white, rich or poor, UDP or PUP. This is pure criminal activity.
Belizean film makers,there you go !!!! Start documenting, would make a worthwhile true belizean story.
IGNORANCE IS BLOOMING IN BELIZE
ALWAYS HATE WHITE IS APPARENT
SAD YOU CANNOT LOOK AFTER YOURS
ALWAYS BLAME SOMEONE ELSE
IF YOU UNDERLINE THE LAST TWO LETTERS IN BLAME AND LOOK WHOM WAS IN CHARGE AT LAST SIGHTING YOU HAVE YOUR GUILTY PARTY ACCEPT YOUR LACK OF
SUPERVISION OR STUPIDVISION
Trust me these americans always surprise belize. come on Belize get real and investigate these people. how many white people have they found out that they are rapist or wanted on another country. but we are too fool. once these stupid police man see the money they dont do their job. i wouldnt doubt they had these childrens.
Come on now Belize,We all know that the grim sleeper is not in Belize.Why not make a backgroud check on this guy Vincent Rose and his wife.Do any of you in Belize know who these people are?If any Belizean was to go to the US to open such facility,they would have been subjected to all types of checks.This white man also need to slow the F down.Don’t come to our country and call our people savages.That’s the reason you got your place burnt down.You took these people for granted and they are probably tiered of the exploitation.
Although i empathize with everyone involved in these series of unfortunate events, I cannot say that i approve of BTIA requesting donations for these people. There have been numerous families who have lost their homes to arson/fire and rarely has any organization reacted by opening an account for them; so why for them? My second and main reason is that Mr. Rose flatly called the villagers savages. Who does that? If that is what he thinks of the people, maybe he should go back to the US where people aren’t violent, or ignorant, or cruel. Nope, that doesn’t happen where he’s from. I don’t condone what the people did, but i can’t support a person who thinks that of a Belizean. If you can say something in the heat of passion, it is very likely that you mean it. Its as bad as if he had said the N-word when upset. Deep down, he has always thought us savages, and himself superior. It just took something like this to confirm it in his mind. That i can’t support….
What’s up with BTIA? Wonder how many Belizean Fire Victims they’ve helped out like this. BTIA should have also said what it is they are doing to find these kids. Quite honestly I don’t trust the Rose’s, it is very obvious that they have had trouble with the community in the past. If they were doing something positive in the community, it would be noticed and appreciated, you wouldn’t be getting this uproar.
Feels like what I imagine it was like in the 18 century. Delfina….you gone off….hope they give u jail time for misleading people. How the F…can the Maya believe this lady weh look fra from intelligent?
The Roses should sue the Maya Leaders. Mek dem unite now and pay for the damages so they can learn a lesson.
The national news services have been made aware of this situation. Get ready for the world to know as well. I suggest you people do the right thing. Don’t let this act of violence go unpunished, or society will know that Belize is not a place to visit.
these mayan people have a history of being ignorant and foolish people, don’t take me wrong – i’m not prejudice but they are just stupid mein. to go on the word of a so called fortune teller, please. and this tour guide, can’t u hear urself, u are so ignorant, lock them all up and charge them for being fools…
The national news services have all been made aware of this situation. Get ready for the world as well. Many will not rest untill justice is done in this matter. Do the right thing or people will not visit Belize. And the other posters here are completely out of order. You don’t know the Roses, in fact your comments show true ignorance. .
This incident has given Belize a black eye, it is unfortunate that the villagers had to resort to such an act but this was not the way to go. I trust that this incident will be a lesson to parents who have the tendency of sending out their children by themselves to sell.
Adding to Lola’s comment:
While it is commendable that the BTIA is offering assistance to its partners/investors, Mr. Rose’s use of “savage” shouldn’t warrant a call for public support. It’s a major potential backlash to the BTIA. This is more from a PR perspective.
But I think we need to look deeper into this incident of the use of the term “savage.”
People will say crazy things under emotional stress. We all want to call people of all races, ethic groups — animals, savages etc., when they hurt us. You’ll see news commentors calling rapists, murderers and thieves “savages” or “animals” or “not human beings.” Your house is being burned down, you find out that people wanted to murder you and your wife — you just might call your attackers savages, right? Or uglier things even,
I know I would even though I have great respect for the Mayan people.
So in part, I understand saying such things under the heat of the moment. But “savage” certainly rings a different tone when you direct the term to a group of indigenous people because of the historical story of the word — Europeans ignorantly and insensitively calling “uncivilized” people savages.
Was a poor choice of word for Mr. Rose.
Does it mean he thinks of the Mayan people as savages in general?
Or, did he just intend to call his attackers “savages” as do many Belizeans call Creole rapists, killers and gangbangers in Belize City?
I have a feeling that in hindsight, Mr. Rose must feel extreme regret for using the term, but who is thinking straight after suffering such an atrocity and coming to realize you missed being murdered by the skin of your teeth?
By the way, this is the quote reported in 7 News: “I am still at a shock and all I’ve done since I’ve heard of this is me and my wife crying. It’s just unacceptable that a pre-meditated group of savages – and they are not human beings, they are savages – they should not even be out on the streets; they should all be in prison because they are not human beings. It was pre-meditated and they are savages and I am going back to see if any of the animals are alive or dead. That’s unacceptable. Belizeans should be ashamed of themselves to allow people to live in their country that are savages.”
These people are so ignorant they can’t even spell the word “I”…..Since they want to go to fortune teller why the hell don’t they ask where the kids are so they can locate them or ask who took the kids or something. Ive seen some of those Indians drunk and when they are drunk they act like some real idiots. The thing is they live deep down the bushes and when they come out they came out wild. poor thing them. Not a hater or nor am i prejudice its just that am ashamed. This thing will be published world wide. I mean come on what else can go wrong for Belize we sure don’t need any more negativity to affect our democracy. Ministry of Education those people are lock of education (including the parents) better yet common sense, they need more school to be set up down in San Marcos.
I didn’t know their was a law; oh my bad (policy) that say fortune telling is a crime? So how comes they don’t go and arrest these pastors over that jesus story thing? Jesus coming out the sky to save every one, ho! and waite till you die and go to heaven so you can get your peace of the pie while pastor living his heaven on earth, now that sound like fortune telling to me!Then the word the man use deh terrorist (terrorism), is that a new word or something, cause todays medium (aka media) seem to be promoting it strongly hmmm? These kids went missing from Aug 30, but since monday the police been searching for them,( monday aug 6) (good job guys). First it was the Garifunas they had for their witch hunting, now its the mayas. These Johnny come lately generation, that has cause so much harm not only themselves but to the entire Universe wow gots to love it. YHWH Tsebaot.
Shame on the Mayan community. Their foolish actions have diverted attention from finding the children and made their situation 10x worse. If they truly believe that the Americans did something to the children, how does it make sense to burn down the ONE place in which they could find evidence? Did it occur to them that if the children were inside the house they would have killed them as well? A whole lot of people need to be charged for arson and conspiracy. Also, shame on the police department for not being vigilant. As Jules Vasquez said on Channel7, there were rumors that the Mayans were going to take action against the Americans, so why did the police not increase surveillance around the house? The dictionary defines a savage as –noun
1. an uncivilized human being.
2. a fierce, brutal, or cruel person.
3. a rude, boorish person.
That is exactly how these people behaved. I am sorry and I sincerely hope that the children are found, but the actions that the Mayans took were nothing but short-sighted and foolish.
why hasn’t any Maya leader, Choc, Coc, Teul or GOB minister commented on this terrorist act. they seem to find the press quite easily for other issues
Don’t let this white man brainwash you all.The KKK commits more heinous crimes than this against blacks in the states on a daily basis.So why is this idiot calling our people savages?
Darius Martinez:You all lamenting about one incident that occured in the toledo District.What about the senseless murders that are presently taking place in the Jewel.Why don’t you all have the same solidarity to fight for the murder victims.No one died as a result of this incident.You all should be grateful to god.
Its very unfortunate that these events happen, I sympathize with both parties, but to allow a person to call Belizeans savages??
well maybe its all good, cause we don’t even have pride for our nation, you go and call a Mexican savage and you will soon regret it…cause you will get it from all angles!!
what this people did was awfully wrong to burn the place but also these americans should be screened from their home country to see if they have clean records since we’ve been a hide place for alot of american criminals and we might have more but we haven’t finger pointed them. let the c.i.b do their job in more investigation very precise and to the last info they can get.
And for you Selgado you look more like a Psychopat than wah psychic even wah sidekick phone got better features than your idiot …
I guess under Belizean law the Rose’s should now have the right to burn down the Mayan village. Belize appears to be a country that is not ruled by law but by gang violence which goes unpunished. Some of the commenters on here prove that Rose’s “savage” remark was probably true.
Check out the “fortune teller”…hehehehehe. The most important thing in this case is the missing children. Some body knows where these kids are, the police needs to step up some more & investigate thoroughly . As for the parents who let these kids go off on their own to sell fruits without an adult supervision needs to be charge for neglect, child endangerment or something. No parent should ever do that to their child. As for the ppl who burnt down the Roses house, mein your actions make you look really ignorant.
Martin: For your information there are more savages in the US.So how would you call Timothy Mcvaugh?the nice white guy that did the boming in Oklahoma.
Proud….. I WOULD TAKE IT BACK TO THE 14th CENTURY. APOCALYPTO…. not!!!
WE HAVE TO DO OUR BEST TO “BRING THE MAYANS UP TO SPEED”, so to speak.
EDUCATION of the community IS A GOOD START.
THE LAWSUIT………… WILL GIVE THEM A CULTURE SHOCK WITH THE 21st CENTURY!!!
Elgin Martinez: “Why is this idiot calling our people savages?” THEY BURNED DOWN HIS HOUSE. I know the Rose family and most likely Vinnie was referring to the MOB , in calling them savages. And it was a savage act by people that have burned other places. Savages fits nicely. And Elgin…. you don’t have the intelligence to contribute here. Just stop.
hal spy: You know the Rose family so what?The white man is the biggest savage on this planet.
@creolgial86 I hope you don’t have children or plan to have any cause its out right that you are a racist. typical behavior of people from the city…..you guys have your own issues in the city. What you should do is encourage the children to stop the killing and live loving with one another.
Elgin, Timothy McVeigh was a criminal and was executed for his crimes. Are you suggesting that the Mayan village should also be punished for their crimes? What is a fitting punishment for burning down an innocent family’s home? You appear to be a racist. Are the Roses guilty because they commited a crime or because they are white and you don’t want them in Belize? You give Belize a bad name!
hal SPY: Please tell the Rose family that they’ve got to respect the people of this Country since you are so hurted.Also inform them that they are not entitle to special preveledge in Belize.So let them go back to where they’re from Belize has been in existence before they arrived there and Belize will not fail to exist without these slave drivers.
Well Elgin, you’re a such a bigot. I wonder if all the good white people you’ve met in New York know how deeply you resent them inside?
Fureal: What your talking about is irrelevant to the issue .so get your facts right.So the white man is not racist by refering to us as Belizeans as savages?
I feel for both the parents who’ve lost their children and the fire victim who’ve lost everything they owned………..But we have to think logical and fairly……..we can’t be jumping to conclusions quickly without detailed information………Those Phsycis aren’t real @ all……….I personally have taught the Physic Lady’s son at Primary School level and she didn’t envisioned that her son was failed because of giving a hell of a lot of trouble in school….These ppl are fakers who wants to make FREE money……….Furthermore, I hold the parents responsible for their loss…..They are so irresponsible………….How could you not go directly to the Police Station after a few hours after you children didn’t return home???? Why the hell will you wait so long to make a report???? And I know it is traditionally for these ppl to go sell at the market but it is dangerous to send children without the presence of an adult to monitor them???? Also if hitchinghiking is dangerous for adults what do you think about Children???? and Lastly, I think it was very ignorant of those ppl to burnt down someone’s property because of assumption. We have to open our eyes and brains..We need to think with our brains and not our ………cause at the end of the day we will suffer the consequences………Get oyur evidence together before acting on assumption….It is wrong of them …I am a BELIZEAN and TOLEDIAN who will noty condone such act…………
Says you, you sound like the kind of person that would lead the mob. Your comments reveal your true self. Again, you obviously don’t have the intellect to contend with me. You have been outed as a racist.
Anonymous said…
you are all nuts…are we missing the point. You are actually worried about their qualifications…but it seems that everyone is ok with the fact that their place got burned down?….wow…again…that’s the problem with BELIZE…crime has gone wild…may be the should make a TV Show out of it…
Just saw this today…BELIZE didn’t even make the list on the GLOBAL PEACE INDEX….damn..even IRAQ is on there..even if its on last place….but it looks like IRAQ is safer place than BELIZE…
http://www.visionofhumanity.org/gpi-data/#/2010/scor
The fortune teller, the ugly delfina is out of jail. She paid 1000 dollars in one day and got out of bail. How does she have 1000 dollars? Stealing and lying made her very rich! Somebody paid her to say where the children were and she didn’t know so she lies and lies. The children are STILL MISSING because she lies!!!
Its an unfortunate incident, however most of you who had commented don’t really knows half of the story, Why dosen’t Toledo Police carried out some investigation on Mr. Vince; They allowed him to left the district. The men of the community stood guard to the premises during the night time
and what happen Vince Fled using the Rio Grande River as his get away route. If you are innocent, then why run? That what makes the community believes that he knows something about the missing kids and got them angry. there is a saying in PG, ” when PG people di seh something, if dah noh soh dah naily soh”. Trust me, he knows something, PG is a small place, where else could these children went, they were engage in a honest living. Yes I agree its child labour, but things are hard here in Toledo. Its best to have then earning a honest living than shooting up people on the streets.
When a white man commits any crime or use Belize as a safe haven and is caught, everyone wants him to burn in hell.
Not so much because of the crimes they committed on Belizean soil, but because of the color of his skin and his ancestor’s history, sadly Belizeans are still carrying the link of slavery days around in their brain, it is time to move on people.
Don’t be upset because he called the Mayans f…. savages, the Mayans committed a savage act against a family without any real evidence of crime, and this act may set us back quite a bit.
They should be punished just like the rest of the savages killing each other on the streets of Belize everyday.
Shame on my people, I am so oooooooooooooooooashamed.
They win their Maya Land rights and there they go burning down establishments…these Mayas think they are unstoppable and can’t be touched!
If the police would have move earlier maybe the children could have been found.
At this moment I am so upset at Gregory Choc and Cristina Coc, they won a court case for maya Land, and to see a white man with land that suppose to be for the MAYASand a million dollar sanctuary!!! This make no sense,Now I want to hear gregory and cristina voices fighting for the rights of the children.
To Mrs Dean Barrow, I beg, please do something to help find these angels.
Human department, what are you waiting to charge these parents for negligence!!!! Sending children to sell at a so far is CHILD ABUSE.
To all the religous leaders please exorcise the evil spirit out of Delfina.
And last, I don’t trust this man Rose, somebody anybody check this man, any person who hates children and love croc so much would surely have the heart to feed the children to the crocs.
Rose losing his belongings I care less, wish he would go back to his country.
DAMM everyone involve please find the children, please please, time is running out, they need to eat and drink, those poor angels.
I AM SO MAD AT THE PARENTS, MAD MAD MAD