Bus driver takes injured robber to police station

Ernesto Castillo Jr.

That Guatemalan has been identified as Wilson Paz Dominguez of Escuintla Santa Lucia, Guatemala.  Meanwhile, News Five met the driver of the bus, nineteen year old Ernesto Castillo Junior at his family business in Benque Viejo today and while he was still shaken by the incident, he was also ready to get back on the road.  He explained first hand to us how the incident unfolded and later told us that he heroically drove to the Benque Viejo Police Station with the badly injured robber on board the bus.

Ernesto Castillo Junior, Bus driver

“Upon reaching Clarissa Falls junction I stopped because some passengers wanted to get off the bus – a lady and some kids – and getting back on the road now to continue to Benque I noticed that two persons were walking to the front of the bus so I immediately put on the light.  But as doing that all I saw was a handgun and a grenade and immediately I out the lights again and they said in Spanish that it was an assault.  Then the one with the gun pointed the gun at me and told me to continue drive and he asked purse that had the money.  He then went to the back of the bus, this is the guy with the gun, to collect items from the passengers.  The one with the grenade put the grenade in front of me and told me if I did any signs with the light to the other vehicles coming in the other direction, that everyone would have died, he would have detonated it and so I did what he said and I continued and going down a hill he showed me the grenade and told me to slow down and I did as was told and heading to a flat stretch before reaching San Jose Succotz he started telling me to slow down and telling the other guy to the back to hurry up.  And he told me to open the door and as I opened the door a male passenger that was sitting in front stomped him out of the bus and at that moment everyone at the back started to trample the other guy with the gun and the same passenger that kicked the guy out of the bus, went to the back and the conductor and I drove off down to Succotz to come to Benque to the Police Station.”

Marion Ali

“You said they spoke Spanish.  That accent of Spanish, could you determine if it was Belizean or Guatemalan?”

Ernesto Castillo Junior

“Guatemalan for sure.”

Marion Ali

“So both of them you believe are from across the border?”

Ernesto Castillo Junior

“Yeah, both of them.”