Incredible but reliable reports reaching Amandala are that three Guatemalans crossed the Belize border illegally on the eve of Independence Day with the intention of robbing the nation’s largest commercial bank’s offices in Punta Gorda Town, Toledo District.
Our Southern sources tell us that around 9:30 Monday morning, Charles Juarez, 28, taxi operator of a VOA Road address in Punta Gorda, was parked just down from the central park on Main Middle Street when a man speaking only Spanish hired him to go to the Bill Usher Beach area behind the town cemetery in the southern section of town, near the seaside.
When Juarez and the man arrived in the area, two armed men jumped out of the bushes and with the assistance of their companion, overpowered and tied up Juarez and commandeered his vehicle, leaving him helpless in the passenger seat.
The group went back toward the center of town and arrived at the P.G. office of the Belize Bank on Main and Hospital Streets, not far from the central park. But on that first pass, the men noticed a security guard and a police officer in the area.
Spooked, they decide to come back and drove around the park area and back toward the Bank.
This second time, they noticed the same security and policeman and decided to go east toward Front Street, ironically passing the police station.
But when they attempted to approach the Bank offices again and saw another police officer coming towards them, they appeared to abandon the plan and drove back to the beach.
After threatening to kill Juarez, the men disappeared into the bushes, taking Juarez’s $200 cell phone, $20 cap and $10 cash. Juarez broke free of his bonds and ran to his home, from where he called the police.
Three days later, police are having no luck catching up to the suspects and their investigations continue.
The last successful bank robbery took place in Corozal Town in October of 2008, ironically at the Belize Bank. Some $110,000 was stolen from the ATM vault, but police caught up with the robbers and eventually charged a boyfriend and girlfriend with the robbery. The woman worked as a teller at the bank.
Two former police officers turned couriers for Bowen and Bowen were attacked while making a deposit in San Ignacio Town in January of 2009, at the local Belize Bank branch there. One was killed and the other severely wounded, but police arrested three suspects.
In Dangriga a few months ago, there was an attempt on the local Scotiabank, but police caught the individual responsible.