Photo: (Top row) Robert Andrew Tillet, Jonathan David Cruz (Bottom row) Eva Giselle Dawson. Elijah Jonathan Cruz
by Charles Gladden
BELMOPAN, Mon. Oct. 28, 2024
Over the past several months, a string of robberies occurred in the capital city of Belmopan, and after months of investigation, four persons – including a woman police officer – have been charged in connection with those crimes.
The string of robberies began on June 5 of this year, when Country Meats on Venezuela Street was targeted by robbers who took the cell phones of two employees, cash, and other items.
On June 15, Quality Poultry Products on Costa Rica Extension, Belmopan, was targeted; and the following day, June 16, an undisclosed amount of money was stolen from Gas Tomza on Shulab Street.
On July 12, Best Care Pharmacy on San Martin Road was also targeted by robbers. In October the robbers targeted Lopez Pharmacy on Ring Road, from which they stole $300. The robbers then once more targeted Quality Poultry Products on Costa Rica Extension, after which they stole over $2,000 in cash from Belize Western Energy Limited (BWEL). Country Meat Products Limited was robbed a few days later in the same month.
Police, however, were able to carry out an investigation and identified and apprehended the persons believed to be the perpetrators of the crime.
Those persons are 25-year-old Robert Andrew Tillett, a Belizean laborer from the Cayo District; 47-year-old Jonathan David Cruz; 41-year-old Eva Giselle Dawson, a police officer; and 18-year-old Elijah Jonathan Cruz, a call center agent from Belmopan.
“We were narrowing down on those persons who we believe are orchestrators of the spate of robberies we’ve seen in the Belmopan area, and I said that a police officer was also being looked at,” the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams told reporters.
“We went after those persons. There is a woman police officer and her common-law husband detained; and from the information we are gathering, is that the two of them are the masterminds behind the robberies; and there are some other persons who are players with them who are also detained. A search of the police officer’s home yesterday led to the discovery of several police uniforms for males, and she is a woman, including number one, and the BDUs [battle dress uniforms] again interestingly is what many of these robberies were committed [using],” he added.
Jonathan Cruz was charged with robbery of Country Meat Products Limited. Additionally, Cruz and Dawson were charged jointly with the crime of conspiracy to commit robbery.
Dawson and Cruz were charged jointly with conspiracy to commit robbery for the robbery of Gas Tomza. Dawson, Jonathan Cruz and Elijah Cruz were charged with robbery, and Tillett with conspiracy to commit robbery for the robbery that occurred at Lopez Pharmacy.
Jonathan Cruz and Dawson were charged with conspiracy to commit robbery for the robbery that occurred at Lopez Pharmacy, and the same charges for the robbery that occurred at Best Care Pharmacy.
Tillett was charged with the crime of robbery; meanwhile Jonathan Cruz and Dawson were charged jointly with conspiracy to commit robbery for the robbery of BWEL. Lastly, Jonathan Cruz and Tillett were charged with robbery, and Dawson with conspiracy to commit robbery for the final robbery at Country Meat Products Limited.