By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 24-year-old Belize City man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2023 shooting death of a vegetable vendor who was robbed outside a bar on Barbara Harris Street.
Emerson Elijio changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on Tuesday, October 27, before High Court Justice Nigel Pilgrim, following proceedings concerning the admissibility of a caution statement he gave police in which he admitted participating in the robbery.
The victim, 35-year-old Jose Antonio Lopez, was a father of four from Valley of Peace Village who was fatally shot on April 12, 2023, while leaving a bar in the Gungulung area of Belize City.
According to court reports, Elijio admitted in his caution statement that he and two other men had planned to rob Lopez after noticing him displaying a large sum of money at the establishment. The men reportedly returned several hours later and confronted Lopez as he left the bar.
Elijio maintained that he was not the gunman and never intended for Lopez to be harmed. However, he acknowledged knowing that one of his accomplices was armed when they carried out the robbery.
During proceedings on Monday and Tuesday, the prosecution sought to establish that Elijio’s caution statement had been given voluntarily. Elijio had challenged the statement, claiming police obtained it under duress.
Justice Pilgrim also explained the principle of joint enterprise, under which persons participating in a criminal act may be held liable for offences committed by their accomplices, depending on the circumstances.
Elijio was originally charged with murder alongside Milton Nunez in April 2023. However, the charge against Elijio was subsequently reduced to manslaughter after prosecutors reviewed the evidence.
The killing had attracted attention after Lopez was shot during the robbery. He was transported to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.
Following his guilty plea, Elijio was placed in custody. Justice Pilgrim adjourned sentencing until December 1, 2026, when Elijio is expected to learn how much time he will serve for the killing.
The post Emerson Elijio pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2023 killing of vegetable vendor Jose Lopez appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Breaking Belize News Staff: A 24-year-old Belize City man has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2023 shooting death of a vegetable vendor who was robbed outside a bar on Barbara Harris Street. Emerson Elijio changed his plea from not guilty to guilty on Tuesday, October 27, before High Court Justice Nigel Pilgrim, following
The post Emerson Elijio pleads guilty to manslaughter in 2023 killing of vegetable vendor Jose Lopez appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.