Shaquille Perrera Found Guilty of Christmas Eve Murder and Attempted Murder

More than two years after a deadly Christmas Eve shooting claimed the life of one man and left another injured, 31-year-old Shaquille Perrera has been found guilty of murder and attempted murder by the High Court in Belize City.  Justice Nigel Pilgrim delivered the verdict late Friday afternoon, convicting Perrera of the December 24, 2023 shooting that left Darnelle Puerto dead and Jehvon Ramclam wounded on Maskall Street in Belize City.  The incident occurred on Christmas Eve when Puerto and Ramclam were socializing in a yard on Maskall Street. According to evidence presented during the trial, the men came under gunfire, leaving Puerto fatally wounded and Ramclam injured. Puerto sustained multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and neck and died at the scene.  A key witness for the prosecution was Ramclam, the lone survivor of the attack, whose testimony proved pivotal in securing the conviction. Ramclam told the court that he heard a loud bang and looked up to see Perrera pointing a firearm in their direction. He testified that he had a clear view of the shooter for approximately thirty seconds under the illumination of a nearby lamppost and was able to identify Perrera because he had seen him before and would never forget his face.  In delivering his judgment, Justice Pilgrim described Ramclam as a credible, honest, and reliable witness. The judge noted that because Ramclam already knew Perrera, an identification parade was unnecessary. He further found that the prosecution had successfully proven all the elements of the offences beyond a reasonable doubt.  The court also heard medical evidence from Dr. Alaine Gonzalez, who treated Ramclam after the shooting. While the defense sought to challenge aspects of the witness’s account, Justice Pilgrim ruled that the overall evidence supported Ramclam’s version of events.  Perrera, who testified in his own defense, denied being the shooter and claimed he was elsewhere at the time of the attack. His attorney, Joanna Zuniga-Stewart, argued that the case relied heavily on a single eyewitness whose testimony she said contained inconsistencies. She also pointed to the absence of physical evidence directly linking her client to the crime and suggested that the witness may have had an ulterior motive.  The court rejected those arguments and found Perrera guilty of the murder of Darnelle Puerto and the attempted murder of Jehvon Ramclam.  Justice Pilgrim has scheduled a sentencing hearing for July 6 and has ordered the preparation of a Social Inquiry Report, a Prison Report, and a Victim Impact Statement before determining Perrera’s sentence.