by Roy Davis (freelance reporter)
BELMOPAN, Mon. Apr. 8, 2024
In a verdict she delivered today at the High Court in Dangriga, Justice Antoinette Moore found Lincoln Bejerano, 30, a.k.a. Belmopan Badman, guilty of the murder of Isidro Suar, 28, a taxi driver of Belmopan who was shot and killed at about 11:00 p.m. on January 8, 2016.
Justice Moore has reserved sentencing for a date to be announced.
On January 8, 2016, police responded to a report of gunshots being heard in the Piccini area of Belmopan, and upon their arrival they found Suar’s body flung in some bushes near to Chon Saan Restaurant. There were four gunshot wounds to his body, his head, his right side and his back.
Quick response by the police resulted in the interception of a taxi car in Ontario Village. The occupants of the car were Bejerano, a 17-year-old girl and another man. Bejerano and the girl were detained, but the other person managed to escape.
Apart from murder, Bejerano was charged with firearm and ammunition offences for a .38 revolver and ammunition that were found on his person.
However, shortly after he was arrested and charged, Bejerano managed to escape from Belize Central Prison. He was on the run for 3 years before he was deported from Guatemala to Belize. He had committed an offence in Guatemala and he was deported after he paid the fine. He was immediately rearrested by police when he was brought to Belize.
At the trial the Crown, represented by Senior Crown Counsel Javier Chan, called one eye witness who testified to seeing Bejerano shoot Suar.
Bejerano chose to remain silent. He did not call any witnesses. He was represented by attorney Leeroy Banner.