The thieves, 15 and 16, were running out of the store they had just robbed

Two young thieves, 15 and 16, both of Belize City, are in police custody pending charges of aggravated robbery, handling stolen goods and aggravated assault after they were caught by police robbing a Chinese store at about 11:30 yesterday morning.

Police said that they responded to a robbery report at the Long Lucky Store on West Street and intercepted two thieves who were escaping from the store. The two thieves were quickly detained and when they were searched, $75 in different denominations was found, and was identified by the store owner as having been stolen from him.

The store owner told police that he was in his store when two boys came in, one of whom was armed with a gun, which he pointed at him, and demanded money.

The other thief then punched the side of the storeowner’s face and searched his pocket. The businessman said that the gunman then pointed the gun at his daughter, who came into the store, and fearing for their lives, she handed them an unknown amount of cash in different denominations from the cash drawer, and the two thieves escaped out of the store – right into the hands of police, who were on patrol in the area and were alerted about the robbery.