BELMOPAN, Thurs. Feb. 1, 2018– Devon Brooks, 21, a laborer of Cotton Tree, Belize District, has been arrested and charged for the shooting death of Errol Smith Gabourel, 27, of Roaring Creek. He was charged with murder yesterday and today he was taken to the Belmopan Magistrate’s Court, where he was arraigned, after which he was remanded.

Police said that on the morning of Wednesday, December 27, the lifeless body of Errol Smith Gabourel, 27, a resident of Roaring Creek, Cayo District, was found floating near the banks of the Belize River in Roaring Creek, near concrete stairs which lead to the river.

He had been shot in the back of the head.

Smith’s body was found by a man who went down to the river for an early morning swim.

Police’s investigations led to the identification of Devon Brooks as a suspect, and they began to search for him, but he went on the run. After Brooks was at large for about a month, he was finally apprehended by police on Tuesday.

During the time he was on the run, Brooks apparently was still committing crimes. He was wanted by Corozal police for robbery, and he was also wanted by Belmopan police for other offences, including attempted murder.

Police had issued a wanted poster for his arrest for robbery. The wanted poster generated public interest which led police to him.

It is not yet known, what was the motive for the murder of Smith. Those who knew him said that he was not a troublemaker or a violent person. He was friendly and easy to get along with, they said.