Crocodile Sanctuary in Belize Destroyed by Mob

ACES team captures a problematic croc on Ambergris Caye.

Press Release - Amercian Crocodile Education Sanctuary - September 6, 2010 - In the early morning hours of September 5th, a frenzied mob of Mayan-Belizean villagers set fire to the American Crocodile sanctuary that a Colorado,USA couple spent the last six years creating. “We’ve lost everything,” said Cherie Chenot-Rose, co-owner and founder of the American Crocodile Sanctuary for Education (ACES). The sanctuary was located in Punta Gorda, Belize.

The mob was apparently riled in to a frenzy by a Mayan “psychic” who claimed that two children, who have been missing for the last week, had been fed to the crocodiles at the sanctuary. It is alleged that the same group of villagers are responsible for burning other homes in the past several months in the Toledo District, the southern most portion of Belize.

Luckily, Cherie and her husband Vince Rose were in San Pedro on the island of Ambergris Caye when the mob attacked. At the request of the Belize Forest Department the team were rescuing three problem crocs, and meeting with top Belize tourism officials discussing the prospect of creating an American Crocodile sanctuary on the island.

Reports are that the mob shot and killed some of the 17 crocs held in captivity at the sanctuary. Also destroyed were the Rose’s two story home that included a laboratory and nursery for baby crocs. One baby American Crocodile was to be flown to Chicago to the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, Ill. USA for the first ever animal exchange program between Belize and the USA. Over $2,500 in vet supplies that were recently donated for a new humane society that Cherie, along with other locals were working on in Punta Gorda were also lost. “This one wrongful incident has effected and hurt many innocent people and animals,” added Cherie.

Also destroyed by the fire were two cabañas where visiting guests and research students would stay.

Vince and Cherie are now homeless and do not have anything to their name, said Cherie. “Our lives have been threatened if we return to Punta Gorda,” she said. “We are not sure how to handle the situation, but the villagers and the country of Belize need to be held accountable,” stressed Rose.

Seeking help from the United States Embassy in Belize proved to be fruitless. “They just told us what it will cost to replace our passports,” Vince grumbled.

The two missing children have yet to be found. They were reportedly in Punta Gorda with their father and uncle to sell lime and craboo on Monday and were last seen in Cattle Landing Village a few miles out of town. “We pray these children turn up safely,” said Cherie. The Roses were not connected with the children in any way. The Roses were in San Pedro at the time the children disappeared.

Social media sites including facebook.com and belizeforums.com are buzzing with discussions about the ACES tragedy. “As all the emails come in with help and prayers I'm having a hard time holding it together,” wrote Cherie on her FACEBOOK page. “God Bless you all for being there… We have lost literally everything of our lives. Not just what we built here the past 6 years, but everything…This is going to be a long hard process, but we are going to fight and not run away. There will be another ACES somewhere … some day. Heart broken, but happy Vince and I are unharmed.”

Donations can be made:
International wiring account number for donations
Belize Bank # 630-1-1-10130
Account# Vince & Cherie Rose Fire Victim Account

Related links:
http://www.americancrocodilesanctuary.org/

http://www.facebook.com/aces.american.crocodiles

ACES compound on the Rio Grande River in Punta Gorda, Belize

Chaos In Punta Gorda

But tensions started to boil over from early Sunday morning when armed villagers - about 100 of them - showed up outside the PG police station demanding that police go and search an American couple's home in the Water Hole Area. Police didn't accede to the demands and shortly after the home was on Fire. We got this video from our friends at PGTV:….

Jules Vasquez, Reporting
This is Vincent Rose's home in the water Hole Area outside of Punta Gorda at about 10:30 yesterday morning. The house was set on fire by an angry mob who believe that Rose was somehow responsible for these two missing children, Benjamin 9 and Onelia Rash 11 - who disappeared 17 days earlier. This is information the villagers got from an oracle and passed unto police:

Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"September 2nd, I am going back a little, police received a report that the owner Vince Rose of Croc Land in Toledo - they believed that these children were being held there against their will. Police conducted searches on the premises and it was fruitless. The reason I am mentioning that is because...."

Jules Vasquez
"They reached that conclusion based on what information?"

Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"Well the family claims that they consulted an oracle and, Jules, when your children are missing, whatever lead given to us we will follow."

But they followed it and nothing was found at Rose's home or his adjoining property, the American crocodile education sanctuary.

But the villagers were fixed on the notion that Rose somehow knew about the missing children. So a mob went to his home in the water Hole Area outside of PG and burnt it down. Rose was in San Pedro when it happened

Vince Rose, Owner of house
"I am still at a shock and all I've done since I've heard of this is me and my wife crying. It's just unacceptable that a pre-meditated group of savages - and they are not human beings, they are savages - they should not even be out on the streets; they should all be in prison because they are not human beings. It was pre-meditated and they are savages and I am going back to see if any of the animals are alive or dead. That's unacceptable. Belizeans should be ashamed of themselves to allow people to live in their country that are savages."

Jules Vasquez
"For the avoidance of doubt, do you have any idea, do you know anything about these kids?"

Vince Rose, Owner of house
"I never knew anything about the kids missing until Thursday, the day I left to come to this island to go and catch crocs. 4 boys showed up at my front gate with machetes and asked if I heard anything about a missing child. I said no. I don't know anything about it; I didn't heard anything about it and at that time they did not ask me 'Vince can we just walk around and search' sure I would have let you - come on in and I'll give you a tour of the whole place. No they didn't ask me nothing, they went on their way. I thought nothing of it, got on a plane, came here, caught 3 crocodiles, tied them up and put them at Tamara Sniffin's place, got the phone call from the police department that I had no more ACES."

After the fire, police intercepted the mob, took control of their bus and their arms which included machetes and rifles and detained the still enraged group at the PG station. They feel that police have ignored them because they are friendly to Rose:

Angry villager
"From Monday we make a report. No police, no BDF come and assist us in the San Marcos Village. No BDF or police came, something is wrong somewhere."

Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"Like you rightfully mention they were highly armed but for some miraculous reason these persons were disarmed and contained. Yes, additional personnel and BDF had to be brought in but at the end of the day these persons were escorted to the Punta Gorda police Station where the disarming took place."

Disarmed and detained - after the fact - when the police should have known where they were heading.

Jules Vasquez
"Did the police fail to protect property? I was all the way in Belize City and I knew that they are going from the police station to burn down the man house. No oracle told me."

Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"In all fairness to the police department. That's Mr. Rose's private property, Mr. Rose had a wooden building on his property that was properly secured by burglar bars. You are saying that the rumors were going around that they were going to burn that building. The police did everything in their power to secure that building, but fire, we cannot prevent fire."

Jules Vasquez
"But you can prevent people from going to set a fire."

Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"Jules, if you are going to set a fire; will you go into the front entrance to that property?"

The fact is though that the police were neither at the front or the back - they came after and now Vincent Rose says he only has the clothes on his back:

Vince Rose, Owner of house
"My whole life that I built as a little boy is gone. I didn't just move here with a couple of bags, my whole life that I had was there and I know material things but they have meaning to me and my wife besides all the hard work we did. So Punta Gorda lost out because that sanctuary is gone; so is the education; so is any help. This is going to go on every news station I can ever get to internationally. I guess I have to go back like when I was 18 years and go find a job and a place to live and go buy some underwear and maybe some shampoo and start all over because I got nothing."

The men were detained until around noon yesterday and then released without charge. Police say a special team is investigating.

The villagers went back to the police station this afternoon and started a picket which lasted three hours. San Marcos has cancelled school for a week.

There were 17 crocodiles housed at ACE which is next to the house that was on fire. None of them escaped but reports are that one was shot and one was hacked with a machete.

The physical damage to the structure is estimated at one million dollars - it was not insured. And having seen the damage Rose said he plans to move the crocodiles to San Pedro - where he will set up a mini sanctuary if he can find financing.. But even as the uproar on all sides increases - the most worrying aspect of the case is that the children are still missing. Police say they were selling fruits for their family when they went missing on Monday August 30th:

Fitzroy Yearwood, Police Press Officer
"The father, a farmer of San Marcos Village in Toledo, visited the Punta Gorda Police Station on Monday August 30th where he reported that his 2 children was sent to Punta Gorda Town to sell lime and craboo and they have not return home since. Our investigation led us to the southern highway somewhere in Cattle Landing Village where the children were last seen around 3:45 pm where it is believe that they were trying to catch a ride to go back home to San Marcos Village. On Friday September 3rd, 50 police recruits were sent to this area along with special constables from Toledo, Toledo police personnel and the search intensified because from the 30th until the 3rd and we haven't found them. We believe that the need to intensify this search was there."

Police say that with those recruits, they have over 100 persons looking for kids - but so far they have not been found and there are no leads. Channel 7

Mayan villagers torch Crocodile Sanctuary

At the top of the newscast, we told you that the property of Vincent Rose, a U.S. crocodile expert who has been running a sanctuary a few miles outside of Punta Gorda Town, was on Sunday completely destroyed by fire. News Five’s Isani Cayetano was back in Punta Gorda today and has more on this developing story.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A busload of residents from San Marcos Village visited the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary, ACES, on Sunday to conduct a search for Onelia and Benjamin Rash. The property, according to information given by a local fortune teller, was reportedly where the siblings were being held hostage. The owner who is accused of abducting the children to feed crocodiles was in San Pedro when he received news that ACES was on fire. Rose says his life has been destroyed simply based on superstition.

Vincent Rose

Vincent Rose, Owner, ACES

“I guess it came from a psychic! So let’s go with facts. Who we are what we do with a spotless record; now go with what a psychic is saying. My whole life is ruined and so is some of Toledo’s tourism now. The Maya community should be ashamed of itself. They burned the wrong man’s house down and destroyed a future entity for their own Toledo District.”

Isani Cayetano

“A mob of villagers in search of Oneila and Benjamin Rash descended upon the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary on Sunday morning—rifles and machetes in hand—where they proceeded to torch the property.”

According to Kenyatta Garnett of the Punta Gorda Fire Service an investigation into the arson has been launched and the department has joined forces with Punta Gorda police to ascertain its cause.

Kenyatta Garnett, O.C. Punta Gorda Fire Station

kenyatta garnett

“We’re definitely treating it as a case of arson based on the finding and the layout of the fire scene at this time.”

Isani Cayetano

“What is the preliminary investigation looking like at this point?”

Kenyatta Garnett

“Right now it’s coming around. We are doing our best to find out exactly what caused the fire and how the fire really started and thing at this time.”

The crocodile sanctuary was a million dollar investment that was set up to protect humans against them. Rose has indicated that he will be taking full legal action against the Mayan Community.

Isani Cayetano

“Do you plan on taking any legal recourse against anyone who may be found culpable of committing the crime of arson on your property?”

Vincent Rose

“Arson, attempted murder, trespassing, all the above, yes I will be taking very strong measures.”

Despite burning down the property Oneila and Benjamin Rash remain missing while the Mayan community today picketed the Punta Gorda Police Station. The children’s father, Pedro Rash, says their search over weekend was futile.

Pedro Rash, Father of Missing Children

“So far now, police and some of my villagers deh around and investigate more and look for the two child and the person we are waiting for I understand he is here now.”

Isani Cayetano

“There has been some controversy in the information that you were said to have gotten from a bush doctor regarding the whereabouts of your children. Could you speak to us a bit about that?

Pedro Rash

“Whether it could be so or not, I have evidence there by myself because we went there with the police along and one of my village members see what is there and that is the lime. I get some few lime there and that is what we see inside the house. That’s why we expect the police to get into the house or call that person and come in.”

That person was Vincent Rose. He flew down to Punta Gorda today where he gave a statement and accompanied police to the premises to complete their investigation. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.

Belize mob torches Americans' animal sanctuary but their will survives

Villagers Gone Mad?

Crocodile Sanctuary in Punta Gorda Burnt by Angry Villagers

It has been over a week now that two children, 9-year-old Onelia Rash and 11-year-old Benjamin Rash from San Marcos Village in the Toledo District have been missing and the worst is feared for them and their disappearance has caused uproar in Punta Gorda Town.

Villagers from San Marcos feel the police have been casually ignoring them - and that bitterness culminated on Sunday, September 5, when a home was burnt down. According to sources an angry mob of armed villagers showed up outside the PG police station demanding the police to go and search an American couple’s home in the Water Hole Area, the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES). Police didn't give in to the demands and shortly after the home was on fire.

The house was set on fire by an angry mob who believed that the owners Vince and Cherie Rose were holding the children hostage at their premises; this information was given to the villagers by a local fortune teller (oracle) unto police.

Luckily the owners of ACES were out of PG and in San Pedro at the request of the Belize Forest Department the team were rescuing three problem crocs, and meeting with top Belize tourism officials discussing the prospect of creating an American Crocodile sanctuary on the island.

“My whole life is ruined and so is some of Toledo’s tourism now. The Maya community should be ashamed of itself,” commented Vince Rose to Channel 5. “They burned the wrong man’s house down and destroyed a future entity for their own Toledo District.”

After the fire, police intercepted the mob, took control of their bus and their arms which included machetes and rifles and detained the still enraged group at the PG station. The men were detained until around noon yesterday and then released without charge. Police say a special team is investigating.

A press release by ACES stated that the Rose’s two story home that included a laboratory and nursery for baby crocs that homed a baby American Crocodile was to be flown to Chicago to the Wildlife Discovery Center in Lake Forest, Ill. USA for the first ever animal exchange program between Belize and the USA. Over $2,500 in vet supplies that were recently donated for a new humane society that Cherie, along with other locals was working on in Punta Gorda were also lost. “This one wrongful incident has effected and hurt many innocent people and animals,” added Cherie in the release.

Also destroyed by the fire were two cabañas where visiting guests and research students would stay. Vince and Cherie are now homeless and do not have anything to their name. “Our lives have been threatened if we return to Punta Gorda,” she said. “We are not sure how to handle the situation, but the villagers and the country of Belize need to be held accountable,” stressed Rose.

Seeking help from the United States Embassy in Belize proved to be fruitless. “They just told us what it will cost to replace our passports,” Vince grumbled.

There were 17 crocodiles housed at ACES which is next to the house that was on fire. None of them escaped but reports are that one was shot and one was hacked with a machete. The physical damage to the structure is estimated at one million dollars - it was not insured. And having seen the damage Rose said he plans to move the crocodiles to San Pedro - where he will set up a mini sanctuary if he can find financing. But even as the uproar on all sides increases - the most worrying aspect of the case is that the children are still missing. Police say they were selling fruits for their family when they went missing on Monday, August 30.

Vince Rose mentioned to Channel 5 that he would be taking legal action against the Mayan Community and they have also sent several press releases to both national and international media. Social media sites including facebook.com and belizeforums.com are buzzing with discussions about the ACES tragedy, including CNN who posted the story on their home page and has scheduled an interview with the Rose’s.

It is sad to say that even though the Mayan Community took matters on their hand based on a so called fortune teller and have left two persons homeless, the children are still missing. Police say that they have over 100 persons looking for kids - but so far they have not been found and there are no leads.

Vince Rose – a croc behaviorist and Cherie Chenot Rose – Biologist lost everything on the fire. Those of you who wish to make a kind contribution can do so at:
International wiring account number for donations
Belize Bank # 630-1-1-10130
Account# Vince & Cherie Rose Fire Victim Account

Ambergris Today

Belize Forest Department Issues Press Release Regarding ACES

September 29, 2010 - The American Crocodile Education Sanctuary ( ACES) has been working under the Authority of the Belize Forest Department since 2006. The sanctuary was established to provide a refuge to ‘problem’ crocodiles which would have otherwise have to be killed. ACES also rehabilitates crocodiles for release back into the wild and has also conducted research in the south of the country.
ACES was first allowed to capture and relocate problem crocodiles from Punta Gorda, Belize City and Ambergris Caye but with increasing reports of problem crocodiles from other parts of the country, the organization was given the authority to respond to such reports along with the Belize Forest Department.

ACES has also played an import role in educating locals and foreigners alike on the need for the continued protection of both Morelet's and American Crocodiles in Belize. ACES has been working closely with the Forest Department and have not at any time operated without authorization.

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Belize Forest Department
Headquarters: Forest Drive, Belmopan
Phone Numbers: (501) 822-1524/2079
Email: wildlife@mnrei.gov.bz
Fax: 822-1523