O’Brien was subdued by the owner and her family and was arrested when police responded to the call

Joseph Loriano O’Brien, 21, a resident of #14 Banak Street, was charged with robbery, five counts of aggravated assault with a firearm, and keeping an unlicensed firearm when he appeared before Magistrate Dale Cayetano this morning.

According to police, at 4:00 Friday evening, Isoline Baños, 69, the owner of Golden Corn Tortilla Shop located on Central American Boulevard, was at her shop along with four of her family members when three men stormed into the shop, one armed with a gun.

One of the men grabbed a cell phone from one of the persons inside the shop and also grabbed money from the cash drawer.

But this family didn’t just stand by and allow the robbers to get away – no! This family managed to wrestle away the gun from the gunman and subdue him, allowing the police to arrest him for the brazen robbery when they arrived on the scene.

The gunman, who was later identified as O’Brien, was taken into police custody and found with a black wooden-handled revolver, a pair of gold earrings and a Nokia brand cell phone. The cell phone and earrings were positively identified as properties of the family.

O’Brien pleaded not guilty to the charges when he appeared in court today, but he was not offered bail due to the nature of the offense and was remanded to the Belize Central Prison.