The Ladyville office of Belize Rural Central Area Representative and Police Minister Ralph Fonseca was burglarized over the weekend. A computer was stolen and while it wasn’t announced by police, a teenager has been charged. He is 17-year-old Edward McKay. He was detained on Saturday night and wasn’t released until this morning when he was charged. That’s over 72 hours in police detention and Edward McKay told us this evening that he was tortured and he showed us injuries which he says proves it.
Edward McKay, Alleges Police Brutality
“When they said I went into Ralph Fonseca’s office, I said I didn’t know anything about and after that they went for a piece of stick and they started to whap me up in my back. And when they started to whap me up in my back, they took me downstairs to go and take a statement and then they locked me up back until Sunday. Sunday they took me out back again and then they took me way to Ladyville to go and beat me this time with iron. They had policemen beating me at the Ladyville Police Station.
Coming on to Tuesday, the policemen took me upstairs back, Paloma, Grinage, and a whole little set of them who work with them in grey and black. They took me upstairs and they started to beat me up. They put a handcuff on my hand, put my hand behind the chair, had my hand all marked up; my belly, my back. And after that they started to put garbage bags over my face, tore off my undershirt, put it in my mouth, covered my eye, put the garbage bag and I couldn’t catch my breath and thing and they told me that at 8 o’clock they would take me up the road and just kill me.”
Edward McKay was this morning additionally charged along with his 15 year old brother Travis and 17-year-old Rene Chavarria for burglary after a report was made by Victoria Munoz that her jewelry and a DVD player were stolen, also over the weekend. Chavarria and the younger McKay says were picked up yesterday and they too were tortured.
Travis McKay, Alleges Police Brutality
“Yesterday they picked me up and Rene right there. Paloma and all of them came to my house and they said me and a guy went to break into Ralph’s office. Afterwards they told me to put on my clothes and to go with them to the station. When I reached they started to beat me up, they whapped me up in my back with sticks. Some of them knocked me in my head and they let my own homeboys beat me up. I knew nothing about this burglary report they are talking about. When they brought me from my house, they took me by Haulover Bridge and they told us they would take us there and killed us.”
Stephanie Usher, Mother of McKay Brothers
“I know to my heart they didn’t do it because I know where they were and I am upset at the brutality and the way they handled it because I was right there. I asked them information concerning my son and they didn’t give me any information. They handled me just like a piece of floor cloth. I always heard about police brutality but until I saw it happen to my kids, I believe it.”
Police reportedly recovered Munoz’s stolen DVD player. Press Officer G. Michael Reid says the family should file a complaint. The McKay brothers’ mother Stephanie Usher told us she has appealed to the Ombudsman for help.