_{Photo: Hersel Garcia, charged}

by Charles Gladden

BELIZE CITY, Mon. Sept. 16, 2024

Charges have been levied on a police officer – Hersel Garcia, 43, of Raleigh Street, Belize City – after he allegedly attempted to pawn jewelry belonging to an American national who was robbed earlier this month during a brawl in front of a popular nightclub in Belize City.

On August 31, a brawl ensued with an American national of Belizean parentage – Gilbert Lightburn, Jr., 41, a firefighter from Los Angeles, California – and several other Belizean men in front of Shisha 8 Lounge on Newtown Barracks near BTL Park, which led to Lightburn becoming a victim of a robbery where several items were stolen from him – a 14-karat Miami Cuban link chain valued at $20,000, another 14-karat Miami Cuban link chain valued at $30,000, and a 24-karat American Buffalo Indian Head Coin in a 14-karat gold casing, worth $7,500.

As a result of being involved in the brawl, Lightburn was charged with three counts of attempted murder and four counts of use of deadly means of harm, and was remanded to the Belize Central Prison.

One of the pieces of jewelry which was stolen from Lightburn during the brawl, apparently resurfaced when Garcia reportedly attempted to pawn it for a quick buck. Reports suggest that on Monday, September 9, Garcia arrived at a local pawn shop and tried to pawn one of the chains that matched the description of one of the stolen items.

A police investigation was launched, surveillance footage from the pawn shop was obtained, and a search of Garcia’s house led to the discovery of the said chain and other items that were reported missing.

He was charged with handling stolen goods.