American Passenger Hijacks Tropic Air Flight With Knife, Stabs Three Before Being Killed

Ten men, four women and an infant were subjected to mental torture when the domestic flight they were on was commandeered by one American national, was armed with a knife.  The end result of such an ordeal could have ended in multiple fatalities.  Fifteen families were in fear of the worst for three hours, not knowing if their loved one would survive the mid-air crisis.  Fortunately, the worst scenario did not play out, but the situation does beg the question as to whether things could have been different.  Tonight, there are additional details coming out regarding Akinyela Sawa Taylor, and the nine days he spent in Belize.  Perhaps one of the most crucial questions is whether today’s hijacking of the Tropic Air flight could have been prevented.  Taylor is a 49-year-old American national who arrived in Belize on Tuesday, April 8.  He came in via the Philip Goldson International Airport on an American Airlines flight out of Miami, Florida, USA.  According to immigration records, this was Taylor’s first visit to the country.  In his short time in Belize, Love News has learnt of at least two incidents that, if handled differently, could have changed the trajectory of what happened today.  Last week, Taylor reportedly went to the international airport, attempting to get on a flight back to the US via United Airlines.  The problem is he didn’t have a ticket to board the plane.  He created a commotion in the departures’ section which prompted the airport security to remove him from the area, and he was put out of the airport.  To the best of our knowledge, the US Embassy was not notified of the incident.  A few days later, on Saturday, April 12, Taylor went north, and attempted to go to Chetumal, Quintana Roo.  He was not granted access and was forced to return to Belize’s Santa Elena Border.  Once on the Belize side, he was denied entry back into the country.  He somehow ended up in the Corozal Free Zone where he spent the Saturday night in an abandoned building.  At some point, he came face to face with Corozal Police and Free Zone security which again caused a commotion after he allegedly assaulted the police.  The police officers attached to the MIT Unit reportedly received instructions from the Northern Regional Commander to detain Taylor and take him to the Corozal Police Station.  Those orders were defied, however, and the man was set free.  At this point, it is uncertain how he got back into Belize to eventually end up on this morning’s Tropic Air flight out of Ranchito, Corozal.  Authorities are yet to confirm these events.  As a matter of fact, the only portion that Commissioner Chester Williams, confirmed is that he was denied entry into Belize up north.  

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “From our research so far, it shows that the hijacker came into the country,  well, attempted to enter the country over the weekend through the Belize-Northern border and he was refused entry by immigration. We’re still wondering how he eventually came in.  Again, we all know  the porous nature of the border, so he might have came in illegally and there was an issue from what I’m told at the  free zone last night involving the same hijacker. So he seems to be a problematic person and so that is what we know about him in addition to the fact that he’s a US veteran.”

Reporter: Do you all know what was the intent of this hijacker? 

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “Well, the thing is that he was saying to be taken out of the country. So out of the country, one of the things I was hoping and praying for was he would not say to them well take me to Cancun or take me to somewhere in Mexico.  That was not done. But to answer your question, he wanted to go to the country from what’s being told to us.”

Love News understands that Taylor was residing in a single room unit in Corozal Town.  Authorities have since gathered his belongings which included clothing and books.