SAN IGNACIO, Cayo District, Wed. Jan. 29, 2020– An investigation into a shooting that occurred during the robbery of Peter Lowen, 32, a Mennonite farmer, and his wife on the morning of December 5 led to Constable Nadir Ryan Mendoza, 23, who is attached to San Ignacio police.

PC Mendoza was arraigned in the San Ignacio Magistrate’s Court this evening and was remanded. He was charged with aggravated robbery in connection with the incident, which occurred at about 9:00 a.m. on December 5 on the Society Hall Road in Lower Barton Creek, Cayo District.

Police allege that PC Mendoza was one of two robbers who robbed Peter Lowen and got away with an undisclosed amount of money.

Lowen and his wife, both from Lower Barton Creek, told police that they were traveling in their horse-drawn buggy from Lower Barton Creek to San Ignacio when two men on a motorcycle came towards them from the opposite direction. The men stopped the bike and one of them took out a gun and ordered Lowen to stop the carriage.

Lowen told police that he did not stop, and as a result, the robber fired at him. Luckily, however, he was not hit. Lowen stopped, then handed over a bag containing an undisclosed amount of money.

After an investigation, police charged Mendoza, and when he was arraigned in court, his bail was revoked.

In December he was charged with theft. Commissioner Williams said that, “Three firearms were signed out by police officer Nadir Mendoza, over a period of time, and upon inspection of the firearms register, it showed that the officer didn’t bring the firearms back”. Williams directed that a criminal investigation be conducted, as well as an internal investigation.

Since the discovery of the missing firearms, the officer stopped reporting for duty, and the Commissioner directed that a wanted poster be issued for his arrest, so that he could be charged criminally for theft of the firearms. The wanted poster for PC Mendoza was issued on Thursday, December 12.

PC Mendoza was later arrested and arraigned on a theft charge in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court before Magistrate Khadeen Palmer.

In December, we reported that Mendoza pleaded not guilty to the charge, and since the court prosecutor did not object to granting him bail, PC Mendoza was released on a bail of $5,000 plus one surety in the same amount.

Mendoza is to return to court on February 18, 2020, on that charge.

Feature photo: Nadir Mendoza