Alleged theft was bizarre misunderstanding
Two weeks ago, a bizarre crime turned up on the police blotter. As described by the authorities, it was a case of a naive American woman being conned out of thousands of dollars through the trickery of a local man she thought was her friend. But tonight Lois Ann Chandler and Vincent Omar Rodriguez are back in the news, this time reunited to clear up the confusion. The duo from Hopkins showed up at our studios this afternoon to explain that on Thursday April twenty-eighth, they arrived in Belize City by bus…Rodriguez was holding Chandler’s purse…Chandler went to use the bathroom… Rodriguez went to get a taxi…And that’s when everything went wrong.
Lois Ann Chandler, Not a Victim of Theft
?It was just a really bad mix up. How shall I explain it? I had just come back to the country after being gone for eight months and I had my life savings with me and I came to Belize to put it in the bank and I was with my friend Omar Rodriguez, Vincent, and I handed everything over to him. We lost each other and separated for a while and I didn?t know what was going on. That?s basically what it was, so I just went to the police. I didn?t know what else to do.?
Omar Vincent Rodriguez, Exonerated of Theft
?It took me half an hour actually because I have a friend that lives two blocks away from the bus station and I wanted to hire him just to help him out. But on the way to get him I ran into a friend of mine, a cousin, and I stopped and I talked to him for a while and the time just passed and that?s what caused the whole situation, misunderstanding, whatever.?
Lois Ann Chandler
?There approximately three thousand dollars Belize and fifty-nine thousand U.S. in checks, cashier?s checks.?
Janelle Chanona
?So I guess you won?t be walking around with that kind of money again any time soon.?
Lois Ann Chandler
?No ma?am, it?s all in the bank. It?s very secure right now and that?s how I wanted to get it, so it?s there now.?
?I apologize to bothering the police and I sincerely apologize to my friend Vincent Rodriguez and I hope he?ll accept my apology.?
Vincent Omar Rodriguez
?I had to understand how she felt. It was a whole lot of money and if it was my money, I think I would have felt the same way, so I understand her point and where she was coming from.?
Janelle Chanona
?So are you going to offer to carry her bag for her anytime in the near future??
Vincent Omar Rodriguez
?I don?t think so; she?s got to carry her own bag from this point.?
According to Rodriguez and Chandler, by that same evening they had finally made contact with each other…but it was apparently too late and despite informing the police in the city that everything was in order, the authorities continued to investigate the case which is why the report was sent out to the news media. Tonight we understand that all charges have been dropped against Rodriguez.
