by Charles Gladden
BELIZE CITY, Mon. Oct. 7, 2024
A series of burglaries/robberies were reported throughout the country over the weekend, which led to large amounts of money being stolen and several missing firearms.
The first robbery took place in Corozal Town. On Tuesday, October 1, 42-year-old customs broker Renick Chavarria departed his home in the Chactemal Estate, en route to Mexico. He said his residence was protected by dogs and had surveillance cameras.
Chavarria said he also left his house keys with his maintenance worker, from San Antonio Village, and provided specific instructions regarding the property. When Chavarria returned on Friday, October 4, he discovered several items missing, including a black knapsack containing his licensed Great Lake .223 camouflage rifle, complete with a scope, red dot sight, and flashlight. Two magazines holding 45 rounds of 5.56 ammunition were also stolen.
He reported that a 9mm pistol along with two magazines holding 18 rounds of 9MM ammunition were also taken. The total value of the stolen firearms is estimated at BZ$13,300. The home’s surveillance footage was also reported missing.
“It is a concern for us because it is two more firearms on the streets,” said ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander for the Belize Police Department’s Eastern Division.
The following day, Royal Supplies on San Andres Street, Orange Walk Town was held up in broad daylight a little after 5:00 p.m.
The entire ordeal was captured via security camera situated inside the store, which illustrated three masked dark-skinned men with firearms entering the establishment and one of the men pointing his weapon at the cashier and a salesman and demanding money.
Furthermore, the said robber leaped over the cash register counter and reportedly snagged $150 in cash, and his companions made off with a navy-blue Atlantic bag reportedly containing over $10,000 in cash, along with three cell phones.
The final robbery of the weekend took place on Sunday morning, October 6, at Mayday Store, located on George Price Street in Punta Gorda Town.
Around 7:10 a.m., two armed men entered the store while the storeowner, 47-year-old Weikun Li, was cleaning the glass doors of his refrigerators. Li reported to authorities that the men, whose faces were covered, the only visible part being their eyes, demanded money from him.
He tried to escape but one of the men shoved him inside, closed the burglar-barred gate, and dragged him and his wife to the cash register. One of the men reportedly struck Li on the right side of his head with the pistol and escaped with several thousand dollars in cash.
ACP Romero noted that the suspects are believed to be from Punta Gorda Town.
No one has been detained in any of the three incidents.