By Breaking Belize News Staff: Jimmy Estuardo Rojas, who previously escaped a murder charge in connection with the 2024 shooting death of Jose Matus, is back behind bars after being denied bail on a burglary charge involving Saint Luke’s Methodist Primary School.
Rojas appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate in Court #2 on Tuesday, where he was arraigned on a single count of burglary. The charge stems from an incident on March 11, 2026, in which the school’s security booth was broken into during the night. An aluminum window valued at $225 was reportedly stolen, and a deadbolt lock was damaged to gain entry.
According to police, surveillance footage captured the burglary in progress and identified Rojas as the culprit. He was detained on March 22 and formally charged the following day.
During court proceedings, Rojas initially expressed a willingness to plead guilty and requested a sentencing indication. After hearing the facts of the case, the Senior Magistrate indicated that, due to his prior conviction for theft and the aggravating circumstances — including targeting a school compound at night — a custodial sentence was unavoidable. The court set a starting point of 18 months, reduced to no more than 10 months due to his early guilty plea.
However, upon learning that imprisonment was inevitable, Rojas rejected the sentencing indication and changed his plea to not guilty, asking instead if a fine could be imposed. The Magistrate declined, citing the seriousness and prevalence of burglary offenses, as well as his prior record.
The prosecutor strongly objected to bail, noting that Rojas was already on bail for another pending burglary matter before the court. The objection was upheld, and bail was denied.
Rojas was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until May 19, 2026. He told the court he could not afford to return to prison as he has a son to care for.
Rojas had previously been charged in January 2024 for the murder of Jose Matus, also known as “El Whapo,” but the charge was later withdrawn on the directive of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The post Jimmy Rojas, already on bail for burglary, denied bail for latest burglary charge; accused of breaking into school security booth and stealing window appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: Jimmy Estuardo Rojas, who previously escaped a murder charge in connection with the 2024 shooting death of Jose Matus, is back behind bars after being denied bail on a burglary charge involving Saint Luke’s Methodist Primary School. Rojas appeared unrepresented before a Senior Magistrate in Court #2 on Tuesday, where
The post Jimmy Rojas, already on bail for burglary, denied bail for latest burglary charge; accused of breaking into school security booth and stealing window appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
