What should have been a routine day of sales nearly turned fatal for three workers of the Circle R Food Supply, one of whom was the manager.
Circle R Food Supply, which is a warehouse for Belize Food Supply and sells only sugar, flour and rice, is located at Mile 4 on the Northern Highway just off the road on a dead-end street, which is completely surrounded by mangroves. The street also has no lighting at night, except for its business lights.
The three victims, Armando Castellanos, Carlos Alvarado and business manager Nolberta Leiva, escaped with their lives after an armed assault, which was the result of a planned robbery by two masked men, one with a gun and the other with a machete, who ambushed the trio from the cover of the mangroves.
Castellanos suffered large chop wounds to his head and limbs and the robbers also shot at the manager when he tried to escape.
The incident occurred on Tuesday night at approximately 9:15. The employees of the warehouse arrived in two trucks, which, we were told, came in one after the next. The first truck was driven by Leiva, who, upon his arrival, waited outside the compound for the second truck, driven by Alvarado, who was accompanied by Castellanos, to arrive.
Upon the second truck’s arrival, the two vehicles drove directly inside the compound, and that was when the two masked assailants pounced on the unsuspecting workers.
The first to be attacked was Castellanos. He was assailed as he exited the vehicle. The assailant chopped him on the top of his head, left arm and both legs.
Castellanos, who was bleeding profusely, ran toward the security booth for cover from his attacker.
Leiva and Alvarado were at that time seated in the driver’s seat of their respective trucks, and at this point, the gunman approached Leiva, pointing what looked like a shotgun at his face, while demanding that he hand over a black laptop bag, which contained $6,000 in cash and $30,000 in cheques.
Leiva complied, then he rushed from his truck, running for safety, but the gunman fired several shots in his direction. Leiva escaped into the mangroves, where he accidentally fell, breaking his leg below the left knee.
The machete assailant then approached Alvarado and stole his wallet, which contained $90, and his personal documents.
Both masked men escaped into the mangroves, and Alvarado rushed his co-workers – Castellanos, who had been chopped, and Leiva, who had broken his leg – to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital.
Police were seen checking the entire area for the two men, all the way up to the Haulover Bridge and down to the Benny’s compound, but their search was to no avail, as a good description of the assailants was not available.
Police investigations continue.