By Belize Live News Staff: A 23-year-old woman managed to escape unharmed after a terrifying encounter with a man in the Belama Phase 4 area. The incident occurred at around 7:30 p.m. on Monday night while the woman was out jogging, when she noticed a blue GMC Envoy following her. The driver, identified as 39-year-old Jose Garcia, pulled up next to her and offered assistance, asking if she needed help.
Despite the woman’s repeated requests for him to leave her alone, Garcia continued to pursue her, insisting she needed a ride. The woman kept jogging, but when she reached Peten Street, Garcia allegedly drove ahead, positioning his vehicle on a bridge to block her path. Sensing the danger, the woman began recording the incident with her phone. Garcia reportedly demanded that she delete the footage, but the jogger ran back toward a nearby store to escape.
Garcia, undeterred, allegedly pursued the woman with his vehicle, attempting to hit her. In a desperate move to avoid being struck, the jogger jumped into a nearby culvert, while Garcia’s vehicle crashed into the same culvert just three feet away.
Alerted by the loud crash, a neighbor assisted the woman, helping her out of the culvert. Police quickly arrived at the scene and arrested Garcia. He has since been charged with aggravated assault and appeared before the Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday, where he was denied bail and remanded to prison.
During his court appearance, Garcia claimed that he was in the area to collect money for his boss and admitted to drinking but denied all other allegations, including any recollection of seeing the woman.
The victim is safe, but the incident has left residents of the Belama area shaken.
