Yesterday morning at about 11:30, businesswoman Jean Deeks, 32, the assistant general manager of Diamonds International of the Fort Street Tourism Village, was robbed at gunpoint as she attempted to make her way into the ScotiaBank (Belize) Limited branch located at Mile 2 ½ on the Northern Highway.
But the armed robbers were quickly caught by police after a sensational chase. An identification parade was held and Deeks positively identified one of the men caught by police as one of her attackers.
This afternoon at about 2:50 Kevin Sutherland, 28, a stevedore and resident of #7 Fabers Road, along with Ryan Welcome, 19, a construction worker of #23 Caesar Ridge Road, appeared in Court #1 in front of Chief Magistrate Margaret Gabb-McKenzie and were charged with robbery.
They were denied bail and remanded to the Hattieville Prison until May 4.
According to the police, the men took away two bags from Deeks, a blue navy backpack containing $27, 646 in U.S. currency; $8,257.39 in Belize currency in cheques; and $1,150 U.S currency in cheques, all property of Diamonds International.
A brown leather bag containing a Gucci sunglass valued at $700; money, a Motorola V31 cell phone valued at $949, and other items belonging to Deeks, were also stolen, bringing the total value of the holdup to $71, 831.39 in cheques and personal valuables.
Deeks told police that she had just exited her vehicle when she was approached by a dark-skinned man who was riding a blue and white scooter. The man then pulled out a 9mm gun, pointed it at her forehead and demanded that she handed over the bag and the backpack.
Deeks struggled with the gunman, but he still managed to take away both bags from her.
Sources we spoke with said that during the struggle Deeks’ assailant fired a shot, but no one was injured. He ran off, leaving the scooter behind. He then jumped into a grey Honda Accord with license plate D-4240 which was parked in the parking lot.
Deeks ran into the bank and asked for help.
Anti-drug personnel who have an office in the nearby Belama area heard the shot and responded. When they arrived in the area they saw the grey Honda Accord exiting the parking lot.
Police chased the vehicle, which sped into a narrow street off Albert Hoy Boulevard in the Belama area.
According to police they were able to intercept the vehicle, but the two occupants jumped out of the car. Police chased them, and caught them at the end of the street.
During a search of the area, police say, they found the two bags, which the men had allegedly thrown onto the roof of a house in the area. Two loaded 9mm guns were found in the yard of the house in the same area.
One of the guns belongs to Deeks. It was in the bag stolen by the robbers.