DANGRIGA, Mon. Feb. 9, 2015–The search for Shane Bennett, 28, of Dangriga, whom police were seeking in connection with the raping of a woman and the robbery of a vehicle belonging to her male friend, ended, after he was on the run for ten days — since January 25.
Police believe that it was the pressure of the manhunt and the stress on the fugitive that flushed him out of hiding.
On Wednesday, February 4, Bennett went to the Independence Police Station and surrendered himself. He was then taken to the Dangriga Police Station, where he was formally arrested and charged with robbery, 2 counts of abduction, 2 counts of aggravated assault and rape.
On Friday, February 6, Bennett was arraigned at the Dangriga Magistrate’s Court on the offenses and was remanded to the Belize Central Prison until March 30.
Police said that Bennett and his partner in crime, Robert Taylor, 23, also of Dangriga, were the two bandits who held up a couple in Dangriga as they were driving on a road in that town towards the Benguche area on the night of Sunday, January 25.
The two men allegedly raped the woman and robbed her. Her companion was unable to help her, because he had been tied up and imprisoned in his vehicle while the woman was being assaulted.
The two assailants then drove off in the vehicle belonging to the rape victim’s companion.