San Pedro resident Oscar Nal, also known as Omar, has been remanded to the Belize Central Prison following his arraignment at the San Pedro Magistrate Court on Monday, March 24th, on a charge of Rape. Nal is accused of raping an American tourist. He has been denied bail and will remain in custody until his next court date, which is scheduled for May 27, 2025.
According to a police report, Nal met the tourist and her brother at a local bar and grill in the Boca del Rio area of San Pedro Town on the evening of Thursday, March 20th. He spent time with them until around 3AM when they returned to their hotel. The report states that after the victim’s brother fell asleep, Nal convinced her to ride in a golf cart. He drove over the Boca del Rio bridge heading north, and according to the woman’s report, they ended up in a wooden gazebo where Nal allegedly forcibly had sex with her before taking her back to the hotel.
Commissioner of Police (ComPol) Chester Williams stated that the tourist may have trusted Nal due to his friendly demeanor. “It’s a situation where the tourist might have placed her trust in this individual, and he took advantage of her,” Williams explained. “If a woman says no, then it is no, and a man must respect that.” The ComPol indicated that Nal did something that made the tourist uncomfortable, so she reported him.
This is not Nal’s first involvement in a police investigation. In August 2023, he was questioned regarding the death of Melanie Lino, who was found deceased at the Central Park Hotel in downtown San Pedro. Nal was with her at the time and informed the police that he was awakened between 6 AM and 6:30 AM by Lino, who was vomiting on the floor. He claimed that she had slept on the floor after a night out the previous day. Nal said he helped Lino onto the bed before falling asleep. When he woke up around 7:30 AM, he said he attempted to wake Lino but found her unresponsive.
Police reported that Lino’s body showed no signs of physical violence or injuries. Consequently, her death was classified as ‘Sudden Death,’ and Nal was linked to the incident.
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