Chervin Tench Arraigned For Murder of Taximan: Erwin Castillo

“Accused gunman who is the brother to recently deceased, Dwayne Cherrington claim he is innocent and police charged him despite his caution statement as per his whereabout”

By Anita Nembhard/Flowers
BELIZE CITY, Tues. Dec. 1, 2020

Funeral services was held this afternoon for Dwyane Cherrington who was gunned down in Belize City on Tuesday, November 24, 2020 on Holy Emmanuel Street. Cherrington was one of four persons to be murdered in the city during a 24 hour spate of gun violence.

And today while he is being laid to rest, police brought his brother, Chervin Tench, 19, a resident of Flamboyant Street, Belize City to court this morning in the prison van and arraign him for the murder of Taxi-man, 37-year-old Erwin Fredrick Castillo which occurred at approximately 11pm. Friday night, November 27, 2020.

Tench will be celebrating his 20th birthday in three days time, on December 4 behind bars. He was not represented by an attorney when he appeared before Magistrate Khadeen Palmer in Court #6.

He was read a single charge of murder but no plea was taken from him. Magistrate Palmer explained to him that the charge is an indictable offense and that she is only to ensure he understood the charge read to him.

At a later date, a PI will be held and if sufficient evidence exist his case will be assigned to the Supreme Court for trial and that’s where a judge will take a plea from him for the very first time.

But outside of court, Tench claim he is innocent and that he is no killer. He claim he was in Dangriga to mourn the lost of his brother, Dwayne Cherrington and that he has an alibi for the time in question.

Tench; whose address is listed as #3946 Flamboyant Street in Belize City explained that all this he told police when he gave them a caution statement about his whereabouts and not about the murder as he does not know who did the crime. He told them where he was and who he was with on the day in question.

He said he was questioned by police and he gave them what they needed to clear his name but that while in custody, a female witness who gave police a statement called his name for Castillo’s murder and based on that he was charged with murder.

Tench claim he sign the caution statement he gave police about his whereabouts and he is clueless as to why he was still charged for a murder he never committed.

And while he was granted the time to be at his brothers funeral, Tench was taken to the funeral by GSU police officers and after the service, he will be escorted directly to the Belize Central Prison where he was remanded until February 2, 2021 for Castillo’s murder.

Castillo is the second taxi-man to be gunned down in the city over a period of three days.

So is Tench the shooter in Castillo’s murder. ?

On Friday night, November 27, 2020, Erwin Fredrick Castillo, a Taxi-driver was assassinated inside his taxi on Flamboyant Street.

Police say that at 10:55 p.m., they saw a red Pontiac with taxi plate on its side in the drain. Inside they found the body of Castillo .

Police initial investigation revealed that Castillo was driving his taxi towards Mahogany Street when someone emerged from a yard and fired shots at him, fatally injuring him.

Castillo was pronounced dead on arrival at the KHMH. Dwayne Cherrington who is Tench brother was gunned down on Holy Emmanuel Street on Tuesday, November 24, 2020 shortly before 9:00 p.m., . He was executed, shot in his head.

That same evening earlier, the city saw a third murder, that of Taxi- Driver, Lyndroy Longsworth, 35, who was executed inside his taxi at around 4:00 on that same evening whilst on Mahogany Street, Extension. Longsworth was shot multiples times and pronounced dead upon arrival at the KHMH.

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Minor remanded to Belize Wagner’s Facility until January 27, 2021; in connection to the murder of Sean Menzies

“Minor 16 now joins 22-year-old Jeffery Contreras – in connection with the murder of Sean Menzies”

by Anita Nembhard/Flowers

BELIZE CITY, Thurs. Nov. 26, 2020

A teenager who just turn 16 in September of this year, who is considered a minor was arraign this morning in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court along with an adult, 22-year-old Jeffery Contreras for certain action done in connection to the Wednesday, November 18, 2020 murder of well-known Businessman, Sean Menzies, 57.

Menzies who was just laid to rest a day earlier, yesterday after funeral services at Saint John’s Cathedral was gunned down in front of his home as he stood outside smoking a cigarette.

The minor appeared alone in light of the fact that earlier this week Contreras was arraigned on a charge of abetment to murder. He was remanded to prison and is due back in Court #1 in January 2021.

The minor since charged jointly with an adult appeared before Chief Magistrate, Sharon Fraser where he was charged jointly with Contreras for the murder of Sean Menzies.

He was remanded to the Belize Wagner’s Facility until January 27, 2021, where both will appear together in court for the first time on the murder charge and that’s when Contreras will be read the charge of murder in this matter.

On Monday of this week, 22-year-old Jeffery Contreras, a Baby-Sitter of #18 Banak Street was arraigned. His charge has now been upgraded to murder.

Police say that the act was committed with the help of others hence the investigation is ongoing.

There is no motive yet for the murder of Menzies.