Man Pleads Guilty to Harm, Remains in Custody After Escape

Freddy Vasquez remains in police custody following his arraignment in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court yesterday on a charge of harm involving his wife.  Vasquez appeared before a Senior Magistrate where he was read a single charge of harm in connection with an incident involving his wife.  He pleaded guilty, and the court imposed a non-custodial sentence, fining Vasquez $300.00 plus $5.00 cost of court, which he is required to pay by the end of April 2026. In default of payment, he will serve three months’ imprisonment.  According to police, the incident occurred on Tuesday, December 30, 2025, when Padro went to the police station at around 4:47 p.m. and made a report against her husband, to whom she has been married for the past eight years.  Padro told investigators that earlier that day, after returning home following several days away, she began checking her house because Vasquez had a habit of selling her belongings. While checking the bathroom, she noticed that a gallon of Clorox was missing. When she confronted Vasquez, he allegedly told her he had sold it to get money to catch a bus to attend court.  Padro said she told him she was fed up and attempted to leave the house through the back door. She reported that Vasquez followed her, shouting at their five-year-old son to hold their six-month-old baby, before grabbing her by her blouse and pulling her back inside the house.  Once inside, Padro alleged that Vasquez continued to assault her, pushing her against a wall, choking her with both hands, and tightening his grip around her neck while shouting at her to “shut up.” She said she feared for her life but managed to escape the chokehold, after which he punched her in the left cheek, pulled her by her hair into the living room, and choked her again while covering her mouth.  Police arrived shortly after.  Vasquez was detained and formally charged on Wednesday.  However, while in custody for the harm offense, Vasquez reportedly escaped from lawful custody but was later recaptured.  Following his guilty plea, Vasquez was escorted back into custody as he is expected to be arraigned today on a separate charge of escape from lawful custody.