Theft Charge Leads to Jail for Belize City Man with Unpaid Court Fines

A  Belize City man who was charged with stealing money from his girlfriend’s purse is now behind bars after it was discovered that he has unpaid court fines. Thirty-six-year-old Albert Perez appeared in court today, charged with a single count of theft. He stands accused of stealing forty dollars from his girlfriend’s purse on Tuesday while she was in the shower. Perez, who was unrepresented, pleaded not guilty to the offense and was offered bail in the sum of one thousand dollars. During his arraignment, it came to light that Perez owed the court fifteen hundred dollars from a previous conviction. The magistrate ruled that he needed to pay at least five hundred dollars towards the fine before he could post his bail. Perez was unable to meet the amount and was remanded until August 19.