by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY. Mon. Feb. 12, 2024
Blake Lewis, 22, who is the prime suspect in a double murder involving the death of Joel Andrews, 66, and his worker, Martin Sho, in late October 2023, has been caught by authorities, a few hours after he allegedly fired gunshots toward an off-duty police officer at the entrance of his home on Thursday night, February 8.
“He has been eluding the police. We try to work as best as we can to do ops and surveillance and these kinds of things to capture, him but he has always been able to stay one step ahead of the police. Last night, the GI3 committed themselves to investigate and go into the area and do work, and [with] the work, they were able to flush out Blake Lewis,” commented Commission of Police, Chester Williams to the local media on Friday.
He further said, “He was spotted by the team riding a motorcycle, and he practically rode into the police vehicle and fell off the motorcycle. He ran and the police pursued him, but he escaped.”
The Hattieville resident has been evading cops for approximately three months since the double murder incident occurred; that’s until he resurfaced last week Thursday. ComPol Williams noted that several minutes after falling, Lewis encountered CIB detective, Roy Rivera, who saw him walking on the street with an apparent firearm, resulting in a shootout between the two men, with Lewis fleeing the scene, leaving his weapon behind.
“We found the weapon that he had. It was picked up and processed by Scenes of Crime and will be sent to the lab. Today, GI3 and CIB went back into the area again very determined to try and locate him because we knew that he was injured following the fall, so they went back into the area and across the river they were able to encounter him,” ComPol Williams expressed.
With Lewis in police detention, ComPol Williams advised that Lewis was considered dangerous, but reassured the residents of Hattieville that they could sleep peacefully knowing he would be behind bars.
On Monday, February 12, ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander of the Belize Police Department Eastern Division, highlighted to local reporters that a slue of charges has been levied against Lewis – attempted murder, discharging a firearm in public, aggravated assault and possession of unlicensed firearm and ammunition.
Amandala would like to note that Lewis is a known character to law enforcement officers as he was charged in 2017 for the murder of another Hattieville resident, Marcel Samuels, but was acquitted in 2022.