In Belize, a 29-year-old construction worker from Ladyville remains in custody as of July 7, 2026, facing charges of handling stolen property connected to a motorcycle taken from the home of a recently murdered local man. Frank Young appeared for arraignment at a Belize City court, where he was denied pre-trial release and ordered to be held at Belize Central Prison until his next scheduled court hearing on October 6. The case traces back to the fatal shooting of Shane “Shatta p” Vargas, who was killed just four days before Young’s court appearance on July 3.
Following Vargas’s murder, his sister Judith Westby secured the property to protect her late brother’s belongings. It was only after a neighbor tipped her off that she began to suspect something was amiss: the neighbor reported seeing Young riding a red brand-new Lifan motorcycle that matched the description of one Vargas had purchased recently. When Westby returned to the property to inspect it, she found clear evidence of forced entry, and confirmed that the motorcycle was indeed missing from where it had been stored.
Days later, Westby spotted Young riding the motorcycle into a local yard, and successfully recovered the vehicle after confronting him. Investigators confirmed that Westby positively identified the motorcycle as her brother’s, and provided an official purchase receipt that matched the bike’s unique serial number, solidifying the link between Young and the stolen property.
During the initial arraignment proceedings, Young entered an early guilty plea, telling the judge that he had only taken possession of the motorcycle and was not involved in the burglary or the murder of Vargas. However, after his legal counsel explained that a guilty plea would almost certainly result in immediate pre-trial jail time, Young changed his plea to not guilty. Despite the change to his plea, the magistrate overseeing the case denied bail, noting that investigators are still building their case and additional charges connected to the burglary of the property are expected to be filed in the coming weeks. Young will remain behind bars until his next court appearance in October.