Man Pleads Guilty to Manslaughter in 2018 Murder Case

A man accused of murdering his father-in-law during a drunken rage back in 2018 pleaded guilty to a lesser charge in court today.  Thirty-eight-year-old Jose Mendoza appeared in the High Court of Belize before Justice Ricardo O’Neil Sandcroft. Mendoza was represented by attorney Oscar Selgado. Mendoza pleaded guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter and was remanded back to the Belize Central Prison until his sentencing hearing on September 28. On April 30, 2018, Mendoza was socializing at his home with his father-in-law Gaspar Vargas, when they got into an argument. He reportedly went inside his house for a knife, told his children to say goodbye to him, and then went out and stabbed Vargas in the stomach.