Psychic Advice Leads to Burning of Crocodile Sanctuary

September 9th, 2010

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This is really a terribly sad story, the life’s work of those who had hoped to protect the endangered American Crocodile and other exotic species and further education and science has literally gone up in smoke after a psychic told villagers that the sanctuary was responsible for the disappearance of two children.

Via Newser:

Mob Burns Croc Sanctuary— on Psychic’s Advice

An American-owned crocodile sanctuary in Belize was turned into a smoking ruin by an angry mob of indigenous Mayans. Truckloads of villagers armed with shotguns and machetes torched all the buildings on the 36-acre sanctuary after a local psychic told them that the Americans had fed two missing children to the crocs, CNN reports.

Cherie and Vince Rose, who moved to Belize and set up the American Crocodile Education Sanctuary in 2004, were away rescuing endangered crocodiles at the time. The couple say they have lost everything—apart from their two dogs, which survived the blaze—but they have no intention of giving up. “We are going to stay in Belize,” Cherie says. “We are going to fight this. I’m not abandoning those crocodiles down there.”

The ACES American Crocodile Education Sanctuary (ACES) was established by husband and wife Vince and Cherie Rose. Vince Rose is a crocodile behaviorist and Cherie Rose is a biologist. The couple moved from the United States to Belize and, with donor support, created ACES to aid in the survival of endangered Central American species, especially the endangered American Crocodile – not to be confused with the more common American Alligator.

In addition to 36 acres of protected habitat, ACES featured research and educational facilities including accommodations for visiting students and researchers. As a 100% privately funded non-profit, the sanctuary also offered guest accommodations as means of supporting its unique mission. ACES was working toward the establishment of a self-sustaining ecological tourist business to provide continuing financial support for the local area and ecology.

All of the major structures at ACES have been burned to the ground. Vince and Cherie Rose lost their home and all their possessions, but were very lucky to escape with their lives. The guest accommodations, support buildings, dock, boat house and all other major structures are also a complete loss.

This photo shows the main house after being torched. It can be found on the photo album page of the ACES website along with other images of the complete devastation as well as images of the property before being torched.

The sites blog has had only a few brief entries since the fire, including this one:

Good Morning,

First, Vince & I are praying for the return of the missing children. We still cannot believe the tragic turn of events and the very real possibility that no one except the psychic will be held accountable. We are seeking a lawyer and will no longer be able to post on facebook; but will continue to follow your postings. We sincerely appreciate everyone out there supporting us and ask that you please keep posting to keep this horrific crime in the publics’ eye. Your words give us comfort. BeedFund has succeeded in making online donations easier. We have a long road ahead of us to prosecute and rebuild; but we will perserve with your help.

Thank you just doesn’t seem to be big enough words anymore.

God Bless,

Cherie & Vince

It would be a second great tragedy if the villagers and especially the self-proclaimed psychic are not punished severely, although I would not hold my breath on anything more than a slap on the wrist being handed out on this. In total, this represents years of labor and millions of dollars toward a selfless cause reduced to ashes.
That’s what listening to a psychic will get you.


This entry was posted on Thursday, September 9th, 2010 at 1:06 pm and is filed under Bad Science, Culture, Paranormal. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
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128 Responses to “Psychic Advice Leads to Burning of Crocodile Sanctuary”

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  1. 101
    Calli Arcale Says:

            Finrod said:

    Did you think Belize is in the Middle East or in Asia?

    I didn’t think about it at all. There’s really no reason an Australian with no direct interest in Belize would devote much attention to the subject.

    So you’re a westerner living in Belize? What brought you there?

    Coming in late here, so I may be wrong, but I think he’s pointing out that he’s from the Western Hemisphere, ergo a westerner, becuase Belize is in Central America, on the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula, bordering Mexico and Guatemala. So geographically, he as Western as somebody from New Jersey. Culturally? I wouldn’t venture to guess, as I don’t know him, but what does that mean, anyway?

    That’s the problem with the term “westerner” — on a spherical Earth, it tends to have a rather muddled meaning. Europeans get called Westerners, and they’re largely from the Eastern Hemisphere. It’s a troublesome word, used to denote a culture which isn’t itself well defined, but there are not many good substitutes.


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  2. 102
    Calli Arcale Says:

    I type too slowly sometimes. ;-)


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  3. 103
    Finrod Says:

            scotchbonnet said:

    Please everyone accept my profound apology for my excessive behavior. I am truly sorry. I know that I am very emotional when it comes to Belize and the people whom I hold so dearly.

    No problem at all. I know I can get carried away myself when debating on a topic I’m passionate about.

            Calli Arcale said:

    Coming in late here, so I may be wrong, but I think he’s pointing out that he’s from the Western Hemisphere, ergo a westerner, becuase Belize is in Central America, on the eastern side of the Yucatan Peninsula, bordering Mexico and Guatemala. So geographically, he as Western as somebody from New Jersey. Culturally? I wouldn’t venture to guess, as I don’t know him, but what does that mean, anyway?

    That’s the problem with the term “westerner” — on a spherical Earth, it tends to have a rather muddled meaning. Europeans get called Westerners, and they’re largely from the Eastern Hemisphere. It’s a troublesome word, used to denote a culture which isn’t itself well defined, but there are not many good substitutes.

    I was using the term in the cultural rather than the geographical sense (I consider myself a ‘westerner’, although Australia is actually in the far east).


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  4. 104
    DV82XL Says:

            Finrod said:

    I was using the term in the cultural rather than the geographical sense (I consider myself a ‘westerner’, although Australia is actually in the far east).

    The ‘East’ vs ‘West’ thing harks back to the days when the world was flat, and the Prime Meridian was assumed to run through Jerusalem, then the centre of the known universe. It was the British, having developed techniques for determining longitude both for map-making in their empire, and for navigating at sea, that replaced the Holy City with Greenwich as the benchmark.

    The political/cultural division between Occident and Orient remained in the Middle East, and the vestiges of that is what we are left with today.


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  5. 105
    I'mnotreallyhere Says:

    83 comments from the first clear insult to the cessation of hostilities.

    Sort of gives you an idea of why Israel and Palestine are such a ridiculous mess.


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  6. 106
    scotchbonnet Says:

    Good morning all.
    ddpalmer and DV82XL == sorry like crazy that I called you both— old men in Bermuda shorts or something like that. I was really out of hand. You can retaliate and call me a bag lady if you so wish.

    But DV, I owe you another apology for calling you an armchair atheist. I’m actually jealous of real atheists. They have a kind of courage that I lack. I have had religion and superstitions so drilled in me that it is very hard to cut loose. But I do agree that all religions or cults or any other hard-line positions are very detrimental to human beings.

    I secretly write poetry that lash out at god—the one my heritage gave me. But then I hide them in the closet in fear. The god handed me was a vengeful god. No wonder I am still afraid after all this time.


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  7. 107
    DV82XL Says:

            scotchbonnet said:

    Good morning all.
    ddpalmer and DV82XL == sorry like crazy that I called you both— old men in Bermuda shorts or something like that. I was really out of hand. You can retaliate and call me a bag lady if you so wish.

    That breed of pest dressed in ‘matching Island Print Walmart shorts and shirt looking down at the natives’, is not endemic to the South. Here in the town that I live in, we have just gotten rid of this years infestation. While I’m sure it’s all very good for business, they are a tiresome lot, and I wish they would go and find (discover, in their parlance) someplace else they consider trendy to roost.

            scotchbonnet said:

    But DV, I owe you another apology for calling you an armchair atheist. I’m actually jealous of real atheists. They have a kind of courage that I lack. I have had religion and superstitions so drilled in me that it is very hard to cut loose. But I do agree that all religions or cults or any other hard-line positions are very detrimental to human beings.

    I secretly write poetry that lash out at god—the one my heritage gave me. But then I hide them in the closet in fear. The god handed me was a vengeful god. No wonder I am still afraid after all this time.

    I was raised and educated a French-Catholic, I understand your struggle. All I can say is do your own thinking, and don’t give up.


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  8. 108
    Calli Arcale Says:

    That’s one nice thing about living in northern climes, especially if your climate happens to be continental — the harsh winters mean that invasive pest species typically decline for at least a few months of the year. This is why it is vitally important to make sure to casually mention how dreadful the winters are, so people know what they are in for. Ten foot snowdrifts. Had to dig a tunnel to get out the door. I keep snowshoes and an emergency survival kit in my car so I can survive if I go into a ditch. White-outs. Icicles hanging from your eyebrows. Frozen snot. So cold it doesn’t matter whether it’s Celsius or Fahrenheit. (Which, BTW, is about -40. It’s strange, watching a sign outside a bank displaying the temperature, switching between scales with no actual change in the number. Not common in Minnesota, but I remember it happening back in the 90s.) Halloween blizzards.

    scotchbonnet — writing poetry is a good way to vent. I’m not an atheist, so I can’t entirely relate, but I’m one of those who draws a distinction between religion and faith. Even if there is a God, He didn’t make religion. We did, and that pretty much explains all the problems it has produced. (Not because people are evil — we’re not — but because power corrupts, and it’s easy to start thinking that the ends justify the means.)


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  9. 109
    scotchbonnet Says:

    Calli Arcale,
    I can relate to the northern cold. I don’t envy you one bit. I left Belize’s 80 degrees weather one FEBRUARY and landed in Chicago after a stop in New Orleans. At the time I was dressed in Cinderella type slippers and short sleeves. I was supposed to change clothes in New Orleans, but the airlines had done me the favor of checking my luggage onwards. Luckily, I had a winter coat that was too big to fit into the suitcase. I had never seen snow before and thought it was so beautiful. But the COLD!!! Never in my life could I image such a thing. I thought that’s how one felt after they died….perpetual iciness. Yeah, I never thought my face would eventually thaw out after that first Chicago winter.

    Thanks for the poetry encouragement. I agree with you entirely. Poetry is so good for the soul. It is one of the most difficult of the writing arts because of the way it has evolved.
    I’m not entirely an atheist either. I’m the kind of coward that says…..I don’t believe in a god- but just in case…….
    I’m not sure if evil people aren’t just clinically sick people. That’s something I ask myself.


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  10. 110
    james F. Says:

    Perhaps all of you should look clearly at the facts and the issues.
    A fire on a Sunday a fund setup Monday to collect money.

    A couple claiming to be homeless after the fire…well they stayed the weekend at the other home they own in San Pedro…and have another property for sale in Punta Gorda for $100 US.

    Before donating to any non-profit or NGO non government organization check this web site http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html?navmenu=menu1
    You will not find BEEB or any other names used by these parties registered with the IRS.

    Keep Digging this is an interesting story.

    Vincent Robert Rose
    IDENTIFICATION:
    Source Name: Defendant/criminal ca contracosta Source Type: COUNTY
    State Code: CA Record Type: CRIMINAL
    Record Upload Date: 7/13/2010 Name: ROSE, VINCENT ROBERT
    Last Name: ROSE First Name: VINCENT
    Middle Name: ROBERT
    OFFENSE DETAILS (1 OF 1)
    CASE NUMBER: 04-088578 – Confirm Case at the Courthouse
    Record ID: CACONTRACOSTA8110248 State Code: CA
    Case ID: CACONTRACOSTA81102481 Case Number: 04-088578
    Filed Date: 2/8/1994 Case Info: DISTRICT: ?; NUM DEF: 1


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  11. 111
    ddpalmer Says:

            james F. said:

    Perhaps all of you should look clearly at the facts and the issues.
    A fire on a Sunday a fund setup Monday to collect money.

    A couple claiming to be homeless after the fire…well they stayed the weekend at the other home they own in San Pedro…and have another property for sale in Punta Gorda for $100 US.

    Before donating to any non-profit or NGO non government organization check this web site http://www.irs.gov/charities/index.html?navmenu=menu1
    You will not find BEEB or any other names used by these parties registered with the IRS.

    Keep Digging this is an interesting story.

    Oh, Boy, another person suddenly deciding to smear the Roses with innuendos rather than facts.

    So just what is this evil criminal case from 16 years ago? It was almost 10 years before they started the sanctuary in Belize and it obviously didn’t stop him from entering Belize. You obviously did a bit of searching, so why not post what the whole story is?

    Why would an animal sanctuary in Belize be listed with the US IRS? Or is this just another poor attempt at a smear?

    How long should they have waited to set up a fund?

    They “stayed the weekend at the other home they own in San Pedro”, I thought the fire was on Sunday? So what weekend are you blabbering about? And other people have claimed they stayed with friends in San Pedro. So again, why don’t you post some proof.

    Perhaps you should post some relevant facts and issues, and then maybe we can discuss them.


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  12. 112
    investigate Says:

    You want facts search the IRS database for registered non profits as they claim they are.
    A claimed non profit called BEED. Which is on the web site of these people,
    They own a home in San Pedro fact.

    Subject: set up beed
    From:
    Date: Sun, Sep 06, 2009 9:11 pm
    To:
    From: “Fioravante, Penny”
    Date: Tue, Nov 18, 2008 9:18 am
    To:
    Cc: “Martin, Robert”
    OK, set up a Delaware corporation, 5 million shares, board of directors to be:

    Robert Martin
    Penny Fioravante
    Cherie Chenot-Rose
    Vince Rose
    Penny Payne Fioravante
    Community Director
    March of Dimes of Charleston
    3508 Staunton Ave, SE
    Charleston, WV 25304
    Telephone (304) 720-2229 Fax (304) 720-6135
    March of Dimes is the champion for babies.


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  13. 113
    ddpalmer Says:

    Why don’t you try sticking with a single name, heck a real one would be even better. Anonymous attempts at character assasination just kind of show a massive lack of character.

    And your “proof” is a copy of an email?

    From the State of Delaware;
    File Number: 4635215 Incorporation Date / Formation Date: 12/17/2008
    (mm/dd/yyyy)
    Entity Name: THE BELIZE ECONOMIC & ECOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT FUND
    Entity Kind: CORPORATION Entity Type: NON-PROFIT OR RELIGIOUS
    Residency: DOMESTIC State: DE

    It does appear that they may not have US 501c3 status. Oh no, call out the Gestapo, they must be Ponzi scheme running serial killers.

    Do you a real point backed by real information? It would really be good if it had something to do with the article that heads this webpage.


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  14. 114
    jim jensen Says:

    Google “JIM JENSEN belize” and you will find out why he has it in for the Roses and their friends.


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  15. 115
    mary ellen wright Says:

    google “Jim Jensen – Fugitive”

    hahahahah Jim! Found you AGAIN!!!! –

    Jim Jenson – arrested and skipped bail in Belize!!!!!! Currently WANTED. i THINK THERE MIGHT BE A REWARD!!!

    J.J. = aka “INVESTIGATE”
    J.J. = aka “JAMES F.”


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  16. 116
    hal spry Says:

    Jim Jensen again. H e has many aliases…..
    The conman who stole from the Roses and others,
    and is wanted in Belize keeps posting.


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  17. 117
    hal spry Says:

    Sounds like BZE Bway is Jim Jensen.

    http://www.facebook.com/catchjimjensen


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  18. 118
    hal spry Says:

    News on the ACES arson and murder of crocodiles:
    At this time Five crocodiles were found dead, hacked
    and slaughtered.
    And still no arrests.
    Still no police report.


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  19. 119
    hal spry Says:

    Here is a link to a reward fund for the Rash children,set up by an anonymous group. Please pass this information on , Maybe this will jog someones memory.
    http://preview.tinyurl.com/12750-reward


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  20. 120
    Toledo news Says:

    Oracle Charged For Psychic Pretense
    posted (September 7, 2010)
    Email
    Print
    One woman who police say misled the community as to the children’s whereabouts has been charged. She is 42 year old Delfina ALVAREZ SELGADO, a Housewife of the Water Supply Area, in Punta Gorda Town. She has been charged for the rarely used offence of “PRETENDS TO TELL FORTUNE.”
    She pleaded not guilty to the charge and received bail of $1500.00Bcy. She will reappear in Punta Gorda Magistrate Court on October 12, 2010.

    Selgado is the one who was consulted by the desperate community and allegedly gave general information which was interpreted to suggest that the children’s disappearance was somehow linked to the home and property of Vincent Rose. That home was burnt down on Sunday morning. This footage was taken a short distance from the home shortly before the fire started. It shows an armed mob gathering.

    Many of those persons were later detained at the Punta Gorda police station where they were also disarmed. They were released shortly after.

    Police have not detained or charged anyone for the apparent arson at the Rose property. The Toledo Alcaldes association has announced that it will be holding a public meeting in Punta Gorda town tomorrow to give their version of what happened on Sunday….


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  21. 121
    halspry Says:

    Would SOMEBODY give the PG Police a ride????
    Apparently they can’t investigate the arson because they have no transportation.


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  22. 122
    jim Says:

    To set the record stay on Hal’s many posts. The Roses stole over $50,000 from Jim Jensen
    Then came up with a story to cover it. As the Roses about the liquor store they had and who funded it?
    Then they sold off the Inventory and kept the money FACT.


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  23. 123
    ddp Says:

            jim said:

    To set the record stay on Hal’s many posts. The Roses stole over $50,000 from Jim Jensen
    Then came up with a story to cover it. As the Roses about the liquor store they had and who funded it?
    Then they sold off the Inventory and kept the money FACT.

    Well thanks for that “Jim”.

    But what does any of that have to do with a fake psychic, a crocodile sanctuary in Costa Rica, and an angry mob?

    Plus you are still make baseless accusations. maybe if you really wanted to give your side you would provide some proof.


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  24. 124
    zoomom Says:

            jim said:

    To set the record stay on Hal’s many posts. The Roses stole over $50,000 from Jim Jensen
    Then came up with a story to cover it. As the Roses about the liquor store they had and who funded it?
    Then they sold off the Inventory and kept the money FACT.

    That’s Funny!!!! How come there is a “WANTED” poster for Jim Jensen, and a $10,000 Reward for his capture and absolutley NOTHING against the Roses?????? Huh, Jim? Want to explain that one to all of us??????


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  25. 125
    hal spry Says:

    Jim you afoc. You just can’t shut up can you? You out yourself all the time. And I am getting closer.
    We all know about Betty too. And your other names.


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  26. 126
    zoomom Says:

    Jim, Oh Jimmmmmmyyyyy! come out, come out, where ever you are!!!!!


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  27. 127
    jim Says:

    Hal, Zoomom all the same fake names. Real Names the owner of the San Pedro Sun Newspaper Tamara Sniffen. the only Newspaper to post anything about the Rose family. Check it out.

    Oh the reward is $20,000 a crime by the way. Getting close. Come to Honduras Bob has directions. Yet he like the Roses are cowards. Perhaps I will send my friends to get my table and chair in San Pedro Tamara.

    Have a nice night.


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  28. 128
    no comment Says:

    http://amandala.com.bz/index.php?id=10725


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