Salvadoran national escapes criminal charges, but failed to comply with visitor’s permit

Edwin Antonio Alfaro

A Salvadoran national, who landed in police custody after a domestic dispute in which he was accused of stabbing his wife in Belize City, managed to escape criminal charges but could not run from the Immigration Department. Thirty five year-old Salvadoran national, Edwin Antonio Alfaro, a resident of Armenia, appeared before Magistrate, Hettie-Mae Stewart and was read a single charge of Failure to Comply with his Visitor’s Permit.   On October fourth, 2004, Alfaro arrived in Belize and was granted a visitor’s permit valid through November seventh, 2004 but when that expired, he failed to get the permit renewed.  Alfaro pleaded guilty to the offense and was fined one thousand dollars but since he could not pay, he was taken to the Belize Central Prison to serve six months. Immigration officials say that Alfaro was accused of stabbing his wife in a domestic dispute in the city but no criminal charges were levied against him since court action was not requested.  When police questioned his status, they found he had overstayed his welcome and was then handed over to Immigration Personnel who verified he was in violation of his visitor’s permit.