By Jem Smith
A prison sentence in relation to a gun found inside a home has caused quite the uproar on social media and not for reasons one might think. Normally, people would be happy that a gun and gunman are now off the streets but that simply isn’t the case. Instead, the arrested person, identified as Ramiro de la Rosa, has gotten public sympathy regarding his arrest. This is because while de la Rosa pleaded guilty to the charge of being in possession of an unlicensed firearm, the incident is not as simple. The firearm was licensed to de la Rosa’s recently deceased father and it was found inside a home that was occupied by that father until his passing. Although the gun was licensed to de la Rosa’s father, a license which would not expire until October 2021, de la Rosa was detained, charged, and has now been sentenced after appearing in the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court. The father of two has been sentenced to three years.
The entire ordeal has been picked at by just about every person, including those with law experience and knowledge. One attorney has explained that while survivors should report licensed guns left by deceased persons to the Belize Police Department (BPD), this particular case might have grounds for an appeal.
