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BELMOPAN, Belize, CMC – A 27-year-old man is due to reappear in court on September 24 after he was charged with flashing a gang sign, which authorities say is a gesture tied to gang activity.
Lyndon Alexander St. Claire was arraigned late Tuesday before Magistrate Ludlow Black on the charge of promoting gang-related activity, specifically using a hand signal associated with the Crips gang.
St. Claire, who appeared in court without a lawyer, is alleged to have committed the offence on July 28, after investigators said they spotted him in photos making the gesture.
He pleaded not guilty, but under Belize’s Crimes Control and Criminal Justice Act, the offence is considered serious enough that bail cannot be granted at the Magistrate’s level.
He was advised to seek legal representation and apply for bail through the High Court, though that process could take up to 90 days.
He has since been remanded to the Belize Central Prison, with his next court date set for September 24.
Meanwhile, police are continuing their investigations into the death of 31-year-old Tyrone Meighan, who was shot and killed last Friday amid an escalation of violence between feuding groups in Belize City.
In 2012, Meighan and two others were charged with killing Belize Defence Force (BDF) soldier James Norales.
They were found not guilty in 2015, and a retrial followed, but the trial judge tossed the testimony of a witness who claimed the soldier was targeted for allegedly working with police as weak and circumstantial.
Meighan walked free again.
