Two months after the newly amended Firearms Act came into effect on June thirteenth, the second woman in as man days has been charged under the strict new gun laws, and this time, it means a young mother is going to jail. Twenty two year old Lattiana Choc, the mother of a five month old and student of the University of Belize is behind bars and that is where she will remain for possibly the next three months. Lattiana Choc’s problems started around three thirty on Tuesday afternoon when Ladyville Police showed up at her apartment at mile nine and a quarter on the Northern Highway. The cops were there to conduct a search based on information they had received.
The police reportedly asked Choc if she had anything illegal to declare before they conducted the search. She said no, but it did not take police long to find what they were looking for. Near the foot of the bed wrapped inside a blanket and covered with pillows, police found a nine milimeter Ruger P85 pistol along with a magazine with ten nine milimeter live rounds. When police asked Choc if she had any license documents for the gun and bullets she said no.
This morning Senior magistrate Dorothy Flowers told Choc that whether she chose to plea guilty or not, she wouldn’t be going home. Choc then pleaded not guilty to keeping an unlicensed firearm and unlicensed ammunition and bail was denied. Lattiana Choc was then remanded to Hattieville Prison and she is not scheduled to reappear until October fourth. Attorney Richard ‘Dickie’ Bradley has not indicated whether or not he will be applying to the Supreme Court for bail.
Unconfirmed reports are that the apartment where the gun and ammo was discovered is not the property of Lattiana Choc but it belongs to her relatives and that at the time of the search the young mother was the only one at home. Since the newly amended Firearms Act was passed anyone charged with possession of unlicensed ammunition is sent directly to jail, pending trial.
On Tuesday, thirty three year old Kraal Road resident Michelle Baltazar was also imprisoned after police found her with live ammunition and a pipe used to smoke crack cocaine. Baltazar pled guilty to her charges and was sentenced to two years for ammunition possession.
