BELIZE CITY, Mon. July 2, 2018– On Saturday morning between the hours of 1:00 and 2:00, Solangel Arguelles, 72, was sleeping when she was awakened by the blinking of the kitchen light, which was being turned on, then turned off, a number of times.
Thinking that it was her husband, Mario, 76, who was fumbling with the light switch, she got up and sat on the edge of the bed. However, two armed, masked men entered the bedroom and demanded money from her.
The men proceeded to ask her about a safe and she pointed them in the direction of the safe, which contained about $150 worth of jewelry.
The robbers then tied her up and left her in the room. Arguelles reported to police that it sounded like the men were ransacking the house. A short while after, they entered the bedroom again, and asked her for the keys to the gate, which she then gave them.
She then heard the humming of the engine of her Volkswagen Amarok and knew that the thieves had also stolen her vehicle.
Despite being tied up, Arguelles was able to reach the other bedroom, where her husband was still sleeping. After they checked the home they noticed that $500 in different denominations was missing, as well as two cell phones.
Shortly after the robbery, the stolen vehicle was found in the Belmopan area and it was processed. Police would not say how the thieves got into the house, but said that “the investigation continues.”
Arguelles and her husband own Florasol, a popular floral arrangement business on Baymen Avenue, and their home is located above the business.