Mark Stevens Pleads Guilty to Attempted Murder

Mark Anthony Stevens, 38, has pleaded guilty to attempted murder in connection with a 2024 stabbing incident at Lord Ridge Cemetery in Belize City. The guilty plea was accepted this afternoon in the High Court before Justice Nigel Pilgrim, who has adjourned sentencing to July 3, 2026, for mitigation submissions. Stevens, who appeared virtually from the Belize Central Prison in Hattieville, was originally charged in relation to the June 8, 2024, incident involving Juan Carlos Rios Pineda, a Honduran national and call center agent, who was injured while walking his dog. Court records state that Stevens allegedly chased and attacked the victim while making threats. Despite the incident, Pineda survived and was treated at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital. In court, Justice Pilgrim confirmed that Stevens was entering his guilty plea freely and without pressure, and Stevens confirmed he understood the charge and was pleading on his own volition. He is represented by Attorney Norman Rodriguez. Stevens remains on remand at the Belize Central Prison pending sentencing.