He is a reputed member of the feared MS-13 gang accused of stabbing his cousin to death and then burning his body in his apartment. A gruesome murder, but today, 21 year old Alex Bautista pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and arson.
The victim was 28 year old Gerson Javier Hernandez Ramos, who was stabbed one day and then burnt the next in his apartment on Victoria Street in Belize City.
And while his guilty plea is one piece of news, the other significant development is that his MS-13 buddies tried to intimidate a key witness.
While his trial was being heard at the Supreme Court, two men identified as Hilberto Ruiz, and Steven Requena were brave enough to go right to the Supreme Court and threaten a 29 year old woman who was one of the crown’s main witnesses. They told her that if she testified in the case, she will be killed along with her children.
The frightened Witness ran into the courtroom and told the police what had just happened. The police rushed outside and detained the two men. She told the court that both men threatened to kill her and that additionally Bautista had threatened to kill her a week ago.
This morning in court, only one of the intimidators Hilberto Ruiz was arraigned on charges of gang insignia and attempted suppression of evidence.
He was remanded to the Hattieville Prison until January 11, 2008.
And it’s only after the bold behaviour of those men, that Bautista on the guidance of his attorney, Carlo Mason, decided to plea guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
Sentencing for Bautista is scheduled for nest week Thursday, December 17 at 11:00 a.m. Manslaughter carries a jail time of 10 years minimum up to a maximum sentence of life.
