标签： Belize

In a stunning case that has rocked Belize’s law enforcement community, a serving police officer who built deep trust with a local family has admitted to a series of unlawful sexual assaults against a child he was close to.

Twenty-nine-year-old Constable Dexter Diego entered guilty pleas to four counts of unlawful sexual intercourse before Justice Nigel Pilgrim at the High Court, bringing an abrupt end to proceedings that had been scheduled to proceed to a full trial. The surprise guilty plea came just one hour into the planned court process, cutting short what would likely have been a weeks-long high-profile hearing.

Court documents and prosecution statements outline a disturbing pattern of abuse that unfolded over several months, all hidden from the victim’s mother. As a family friend and active member of the Belize Police Department, Diego exploited his position of trust to initiate a secret relationship with the young victim, who was just 13 years old when the first offense took place. By the time the final three incidents occurred, the victim had turned 14.

The first recorded assault occurred between December 31, 2022, and February 1, 2023, at the home of one of the victim’s relatives, where the teen had been working as a babysitter. Three additional attacks followed between February and March 2023, including one incident on March 26 where Diego reportedly showed up to the victim’s home while he was on duty, wearing his official police uniform.

Following the guilty plea, Justice Pilgrim ordered a pause in proceedings to allow for comprehensive pre-sentencing assessments. Sentencing has been adjourned until September 8, 2026, with the judge requesting three key documents to inform his sentencing decision: a full prison report detailing Diego’s custodial assessment, a Social Inquiry Report to evaluate the offender’s background and risk, and a Victim Impact Statement to document the harm inflicted on the teen and her family.

Diego remains in remand custody as he waits for his sentencing hearing, with the case raising urgent questions about oversight of law enforcement personnel and the protection of minors in vulnerable community relationships. This report is adapted from a televised evening newscast, with all translated Kriol language content standardized for print and digital publication.

As economic pressure leaves many Belizean residents searching for quick access to credit, a long-standing local lending firm is sounding the alarm about a damaging impersonation scam targeting vulnerable borrowers. Doony’s Ltd., a payday loan provider with more than two decades of service across Belize, has confirmed that scammers are operating a fake social media page under the company’s brand, luring victims into paying an upfront $100 deposit in exchange for guaranteed instant loans.

In an interview with local reporters, Chiniqua Kemp, a customer service representative for Doony’s, clarified that the fraudulent operation has no affiliation whatsoever with the legitimate business. While Doony’s does offer instant payday loans to local customers, all application and processing must be completed in person at the company’s physical locations. Kemp emphasized that the firm never requires applicants to send or deposit money to any external account as a condition for loan approval, a core requirement the scammers are using to defraud consumers.

Kemp noted that this is not the first time bad actors have impersonated Doony’s to run this scheme. The company has already filed reports with relevant law enforcement and regulatory authorities, but scammers have continued to operate the fake page and target consumers. With widespread financial strain pushing more people to seek out small loans to cover emergency costs, Kemp said the company is particularly eager to spread the warning to prevent community members from losing money they can ill afford to part with.

“We’ve built our reputation over 20 years serving the Belizean community, which has supported us consistently through the years,” Kemp explained. “We don’t want anyone to get short-changed during this already difficult period.” Kemp added that any customer with questions about the legitimacy of a loan offer is encouraged to contact Doony’s directly or visit one of its in-person locations to confirm details before engaging.

The company also stressed that Doony’s is far from the only legitimate business being targeted by this brand of scam. Impersonation fraud, where scammers copy the branding and identity of trusted local companies to steal money from consumers, has become an increasingly common issue across social media platforms. Doony’s is urging all members of the public to exercise extreme caution when asked to send money online for financial services, and to verify all offers directly with the claimed company before taking any action.

In the quiet Cayo District community of El Progresso Seven Miles Village, a disturbing wave of unexplained pet deaths has left residents on edge and demanding urgent answers from authorities. Over the past several days, at least five dogs and one cat have been found dead in unclear circumstances, a cluster of fatalities that has shaken local pet owners and triggered official reports to both village leadership and regional police.

While no definitive cause of death has been formally confirmed by officials, widespread suspicion among residents centers on accidental or intentional poisoning. One local resident, who spoke to reporters on condition of anonymity, shared the harrowing experience of losing their own dog amid the outbreak. The resident explained that three days before the interview, their dog began displaying abnormal behavior, progressing to visible foaming at the mouth and severe whole-body trembling before its death.

Pointing to a farmed plot located just a short distance from residential homes, the resident noted that local landowners sometimes lay poison to control nuisance wildlife like iguanas and rodent populations, leaving open the possibility that pets were inadvertently exposed to the toxic substances. The resident, who was out of the country when their dog died, shared that officials from the Belize Agricultural Health Authority (BAHA) reached out to express concern and request additional information about linked exposed animals, but had not followed up with an in-person visit as of the interview.

Veterinarian Dr. Orlando Baptist, who assessed the case based on reported symptoms and social media footage of the affected animals, told reporters that poisoning aligns most closely with the observed clinical signs. Dr. Baptist explained that while distemper — a common viral disease in canines — can cause seizures, symptoms typically progress gradually rather than appearing abruptly, and most cases can be prevented through routine vaccination. In this incident, he noted, affected animals experienced sudden, violent seizures, with multiple pets dying in a short time frame — a pattern that strongly points to poisoning as the cause, even without an in-person autopsy.

Dr. Baptist added guidance for pet owners who suspect their animal has been exposed to poison: urgent veterinary care is critical, as timely supportive treatment can drastically improve a poisoned animal’s chance of survival. This report is a transcript of an evening television newscast, with Kriol language statements transcribed using a standardized spelling system for accuracy.

An ordinary errand for groceries has turned into a life-changing windfall for one scratch-and-win game participant, who walked away with a $20,000 grand prize after a random stop at Minnesota’s Twin Super Market in late July 2026.

The winner, who has chosen to remain private, shared that her big win came entirely by chance. During an unplanned trip to pick up essentials at the local grocery store, she made a split-second decision to grab two scratch-and-win tickets on a whim, never expecting the outing would lead to a major payout.

Unusually, the winning ticket sat unused for nearly a full week after purchase. It was not until last Sunday that the winner finally found a spare moment to scratch off the ticket’s coating and reveal her result. She recalled the moment of realization in an interview, explaining that she had to double and even triple-check the matching symbols to confirm what she was seeing. When the full extent of the win hit her – two matching combinations that added up to $20,000 – she was overcome with excitement and still says she can hardly believe her luck.

More than a week after claiming her prize, the winner has not yet locked in concrete plans for how she will use her unexpected earnings. The only idea she has floated so far is a small, relaxing escape: a weekend mini-vacation to celebrate her good fortune, with the exact destination still to be determined.

For other casual players who have been hesitant to try their hand at scratch-and-win games, the new jackpot winner has a simple, encouraging message. She says the prizes are not just myth or marketing – ordinary players really do win, and she urges anyone on the fence to take a chance, just like she did.