On Tuesday, I told you about the home invasion at the home of a pair of medical professionals in a residential neighbourhood of the West Landivar Area.
In the early morning hours of that day, 4 men broke into the home of Dra. Lavel Reyes and Melinda Guerra, bound them with duct tape, ransacked their house for valuables, and stole a high-end pickup truck that was later fenced across the Border in Guatemala.
Police have since made an arrest in this case, and tonight, that defendant is at the Belize Central Prison. He's 40-year-old Egbert Vernon, aka "Jack", a resident of Fabers Road, and he's now facing a charge of aggravated burglary.
Vernon was arraigned today before Chief Magistrate Sharon Frazer, and according to court details, police are connecting him to the theft of their Hilux pick-up, valued at 100 thousand dollars, an assortment of very expensive jewelry, and just over 13 thousand dollars in different currencies.
During Vernon's arraignment, his attorney, "Dickie" Bradley, made submissions on his behalf that based on the information provided by police, there is no link between his client and the charge of aggravated burglary. He noted that police claimed to have visited Vernon's house, and that's where they found some of the stolen items from the home invasion. According to Bradley, the charge they should have brought against him is handling stolen goods.
After consideration, the Chief Magistrate informed the defendant that although he and his attorneys may disagree with the charge, they will get an opportunity to mount a defense against it.
No plea was taken, and he was denied bail. He has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison until December 2021.
