Knife-wielding US citizen shot dead after hijacking small plane in Belize
A knife-wielding US citizen went on a stabbing spree after hijacking a small plane in Belize, before being shot dead by one of the injured passengers, police said.
The hijacker has been identified as Akinyela Sawa Taylor, a 49-year-old military veteran, said Belize police commissioner Chester Williams.
The man was aboard a Tropic Air plane carrying 14 passengers and two crew members, en route from Corozal, a small town near Belize 's border with Mexico, to the popular tourist destination of San Pedro.
The plane flew in erratic circles in the airspace between northern Belize and the capital, Belize City, for nearly two hours as the mid-air drama unfolded. A police helicopter tailed the aircraft before it eventually landed at an airport in the coastal town of Ladyville.
The hijacker stabbed three people on board, including the pilot and a passenger who shot Taylor with a licensed firearm as the plane landed outside Belize City, police said. Upon landing, the injured pilot, passengers, and Taylor were rushed to the hospital, but the hijacker succumbed to his gunshot wounds.
Belizean authorities declared a full emergency shortly after the incident began, around 8.30am local time, according to a statement from the Belize Airport Concession Company.
The police commissioner said it was unclear how Taylor managed to board the plane with a knife, acknowledging that the country's smaller airstrips lack proper security measures.
Taylor was reportedly denied entry into the country over the weekend. Police commissioner, Mr Williams, said Taylor was demanding to be flown out of Belize, possibly to Mexico, and at one point asked for the plane to land so it could be refuelled.
The stabbed passenger who managed to shoot Taylor had a licence to carry a firearm and later handed the weapon over to police, Mr Williams said. The passenger was stabbed in the back and sustained a punctured lung. He remains in critical condition.
'We are praying for him,' Mr Williams told reporters. 'He's our hero.'
US state department spokesperson, Tammy Bruce, said at a news briefing in Washington that officials were still gathering information about the incident.
'Horrifying,' she said. 'We are grateful, I think all of us are, that that did not turn into a mass casualty event with, I believe, over a dozen people on the plane. Clearly we know a few details. We don't know much more.'
Luke Martin, a US embassy spokesperson in Belize, said Taylor also insisted that he be taken to the US. 'We don't know why he wanted to go back to the United States.'
The airline, in a statement, said in the face of incomprehensible pressure, 'our pilot acted with extraordinary courage and calm, guiding the aircraft to a safe landing'.
'His actions were nothing short of heroic.'
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Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
Man attacked teen with fence post he believed was 'up to no good' breaking his arm and wrist
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info A man launched an attack on a teenager he believed was "up to no good" near his property, breaking his arm and wrist, a court heard. George Kovacs assaulted the 17-year-old with a fence post and pole and then threatened to kill him if he returned. A judge said he had read about issues involving people misbehaving and causing damage in the area where the defendant lived, but sending the 57-year-old father to prison, he said: "What you did went far beyond anything you reasonably thought you could do to protect that property." Amy Edwards, prosecuting, told Caernarfon Crown Court on December 17, 2022, two then-17-year-old friends were walking in the mountains in the Waunfawr area of Gwynedd when they noticed an abandoned outbuilding and "out of curiosity" walked towards it, reports WalesOnline. Ms Edwards said as they approached the building a vehicle drove past them before stopping and reversing back to them. The driver of the vehicle, Kovacs, got out and shouted "What the f*** are you boys doing here?" The court heard that one of the teenagers, Kian Williams, who is now an adult, apologised to the driver but Kovacs continued "ranting" and the teenager told him: "There's no need to be a d*** about it." The prosecutor said Kovacs then grabbed a fence post and began swinging it around and striking Mr Williams, with the teenager putting his arms up to protect himself. The force of the blows were such that the post snapped. The court heard the defendant continued shouting that the boys should leave the area before grabbing Mr Williams, pushing him up against a wall and throwing a number of punches, all of which missed their target. The prosecutor said the teenagers made for the footpath but Kovacs armed himself with a pole and followed them. The defendant struck Mr Williams a number of times to the legs and the back, though the blows to the back were cushioned by the rucksack he was wearing. Kovacs told the teenagers: "I'm going to kill you... come back again and I will slice you." For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter The court heard that the teenagers made their way home and Mr Williams was subsequently taken to Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd by his father where doctors found he had a fractured arm and a fracture to bones in his wrist which required surgery. Meanwhile Kovacs put a post on a Facebook saying: "The lads who came from Liverpool or Manchester to my place, don't come back... next time they will have more then just a limp. Merry Christmas." He also said he had the registration of a vehicle they had been seen getting into. The court heard Kovacs was arrested and interviewed and admitted striking the teenager with a pole saying his actions were justified as he was protecting his property. In an impact statement written in May this year which was read to the court the victim said he still suffers with pain in his wrist and gets flashbacks to what happened in Waunfawr. He said he feels fearful when he goes out and constantly thinks of the defendant, adding: "This incident has taught me a lot of lessons about the man I want to be. I want to be the complete opposite of him." George Kovacs, of Ceunant, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has five previous convictions for eight offences including weapons offences but none for violence. Laura Knightly, for Kovacs, said the defendant lived in a "secluded area" with his wife and children and said he was a hard-working man. She, while in no way excusing his actions on the day in question, said there had been "concerns and fears in the area for some time" and that Kovacs' suspicions of the teenagers and his fears of what might happen "caused him to behave in this out-of-character way". The barrister added that her client thinks he may have blacked out during the incident. Judge Timothy Petts said in December 2022 Kovacs saw two young men in the vicinity of a property near to where he lived and, believing they were "up to no good", he confronted them. He said he had read references written to the court detailing problems with people misbehaving and causing damage in the rea but he told the defendant: "What you did went far beyond anything you reasonably thought you could do to protect that property." With a 15% discount for his guilty plea Kovacs was sentenced to 33 months in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant was also made the subject of a 10-year restraining order banning him from contacting his victim. You can sign up for all the latest court stories here Find crime figures for your area
North Wales Live
2 days ago
- North Wales Live
Man attacked teen with fence post he believed was 'up to no good' breaking his arm and wrist
A man launched an attack on a teenager he believed was "up to no good" near his property, breaking his arm and wrist, a court heard. George Kovacs assaulted the 17-year-old with a fence post and pole and then threatened to kill him if he returned. A judge said he had read about issues involving people misbehaving and causing damage in the area where the defendant lived, but sending the 57-year-old father to prison, he said: "What you did went far beyond anything you reasonably thought you could do to protect that property." Amy Edwards, prosecuting, told Caernarfon Crown Court on December 17, 2022, two then-17-year-old friends were walking in the mountains in the Waunfawr area of Gwynedd when they noticed an abandoned outbuilding and "out of curiosity" walked towards it, reports WalesOnline. Ms Edwards said as they approached the building a vehicle drove past them before stopping and reversing back to them. The driver of the vehicle, Kovacs, got out and shouted "What the f*** are you boys doing here?" The court heard that one of the teenagers, Kian Williams, who is now an adult, apologised to the driver but Kovacs continued "ranting" and the teenager told him: "There's no need to be a d*** about it." The prosecutor said Kovacs then grabbed a fence post and began swinging it around and striking Mr Williams, with the teenager putting his arms up to protect himself. The force of the blows were such that the post snapped. The court heard the defendant continued shouting that the boys should leave the area before grabbing Mr Williams, pushing him up against a wall and throwing a number of punches, all of which missed their target. The prosecutor said the teenagers made for the footpath but Kovacs armed himself with a pole and followed them. The defendant struck Mr Williams a number of times to the legs and the back, though the blows to the back were cushioned by the rucksack he was wearing. Kovacs told the teenagers: "I'm going to kill you... come back again and I will slice you." For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter The court heard that the teenagers made their way home and Mr Williams was subsequently taken to Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd by his father where doctors found he had a fractured arm and a fracture to bones in his wrist which required surgery. Meanwhile Kovacs put a post on a Facebook saying: "The lads who came from Liverpool or Manchester to my place, don't come back... next time they will have more then just a limp. Merry Christmas." He also said he had the registration of a vehicle they had been seen getting into. The court heard Kovacs was arrested and interviewed and admitted striking the teenager with a pole saying his actions were justified as he was protecting his property. In an impact statement written in May this year which was read to the court the victim said he still suffers with pain in his wrist and gets flashbacks to what happened in Waunfawr. He said he feels fearful when he goes out and constantly thinks of the defendant, adding: "This incident has taught me a lot of lessons about the man I want to be. I want to be the complete opposite of him." George Kovacs, of Ceunant, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has five previous convictions for eight offences including weapons offences but none for violence. Laura Knightly, for Kovacs, said the defendant lived in a "secluded area" with his wife and children and said he was a hard-working man. She, while in no way excusing his actions on the day in question, said there had been "concerns and fears in the area for some time" and that Kovacs' suspicions of the teenagers and his fears of what might happen "caused him to behave in this out-of-character way". The barrister added that her client thinks he may have blacked out during the incident. Judge Timothy Petts said in December 2022 Kovacs saw two young men in the vicinity of a property near to where he lived and, believing they were "up to no good", he confronted them. He said he had read references written to the court detailing problems with people misbehaving and causing damage in the rea but he told the defendant: "What you did went far beyond anything you reasonably thought you could do to protect that property." With a 15% discount for his guilty plea Kovacs was sentenced to 33 months in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant was also made the subject of a 10-year restraining order banning him from contacting his victim.
Wales Online
3 days ago
- Wales Online
He throttled a teenager with a fence post, then bragged on Facebook he'd do even worse
He throttled a teenager with a fence post, then bragged on Facebook he'd do even worse George Kovacs told his 17-year-old victim "I'm going to kill you… come back again and I will slice you" George Kovacs (Image: North Wales Police ) A man attacked a teenager who he believed was "up to no good" near his property and broke his arm and wrist, a court has heard. George Kovacs set about the 17-year-old with a fence post and pole and threatened to kill him if he returned. Sending the 57-year-old father to prison a judge said he had read about issues involving people misbehaving and causing damage in the area where the defendant lived, but he told him: "What you did went far beyond anything you reasonably thought you could do to protect that property." Amy Edwards, prosecuting, told Caernarfon Crown Court that on December 17, 2022, two then-17-year-old friends were walking in the mountains in the Waunfawr area of Gwynedd when they noticed an abandoned outbuilding and "out of curiosity" walked towards it. The barrister said as they approached the building a vehicle drove past them before stopping and reversing back to them. The driver of the vehicle, Kovacs, got out and shouted "What the f*** are you boys doing here?" The court heard that one of the teenagers, Kian Williams, who is now an adult, apologised to the driver but Kovacs continued "ranting" and the teenager told him: "There's no need to be a d*** about it." The prosecutor said Kovacs then grabbed a fence post and began swinging it around and striking Mr Williams, with the teenager putting his arms up to protect himself. The force of the blows were such that the post snapped. The court heard the defendant continued shouting that the boys should leave the area before grabbing Mr Williams, pushing him up against a wall and throwing a number of punches, all of which missed their target. The prosecutor said the teenagers made for the footpath but Kovacs armed himself with a pole and followed them. The defendant struck Mr Williams a number of times to the legs and the back, though the blows to the back were cushioned by the rucksack he was wearing. Kovacs told the teenagers: "I'm going to kill you… come back again and I will slice you." For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter Article continues below The court heard that the teenagers made their way home and Mr Williams was subsequently taken to Bangor's Ysbyty Gwynedd by his father where doctors found he had a fractured arm and a fracture to bones in his wrist which required surgery. Meanwhile Kovacs put a post on a Facebook saying: "The lads who came from Liverpool or Manchester to my place, don't come back… next time they will have more then just a limp. Merry Christmas." He also said he had the registration of a vehicle they had been seen getting into. The court heard Kovacs was arrested and interviewed and admitted striking the teenager with a pole saying his actions were justified as he was protecting his property. In an impact statement written in May this year which was read to the court the victim said he still suffers with pain in his wrist and gets flashbacks to what happened in Waunfawr. He said he feels fearful when he goes out and constantly thinks of the defendant, adding: "This incident has taught me a lot of lessons about the man I want to be. I want to be the complete opposite of him." George Kovacs, of Ceunant, Caernarfon, Gwynedd, had previously pleaded guilty to unlawful wounding when he appeared in the dock for sentencing. He has five previous convictions for eight offences including weapons offences but none for violence. Laura Knightly, for Kovacs, said the defendant lived in a "secluded area" with his wife and children and said he was a hard-working man. She, while in no way excusing his actions on the day in question, said there had been "concerns and fears in the area for some time" and that Kovacs' suspicions of the teenagers and his fears of what might happen "caused him to behave in this out-of-character way". The barrister added that her client thinks he may have blacked out during the incident. Article continues below Judge Timothy Petts said in December 2022 Kovacs saw two young men in the vicinity of a property near to where he lived and, believing they were "up to no good", he confronted them. He said he had read references written to the court detailing problems with people misbehaving and causing damage in the rea but he told the defendant: "What you did went far beyond anything you reasonably thought you could do to protect that property." With a 15% discount for his guilty plea Kovacs was sentenced to 33 months in prison. He will serve up to half the sentence in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community. The defendant was also made the subject of a 10-year restraining order banning him from contacting his victim.
