Burglars hit 3 shops in Commercial Centre

The Commercial Centre in downtown Belize City may be a well-known landmark but it is also a favourite target for thieves. Last night they struck again.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Fifty year old Suzy Dyer is a self-proclaimed psychic, but her powers have not prevented her businesses from being burglarised, not once but on eight different occasions at the Commercial Centre. The latest incident occurred sometime between Monday night and early Tuesday morning, when a thief or thieves gained access to the main building and then broke into Dyer’s three businesses: King’s Café, a grocery stall, and a fortune telling shop.

Suzy Dyer, Businesswoman, Commercial Centre
“I used to stay here. I would be the last person to go and the first person fi come. Sometime me have to sleep in here right, but that is not right because I have my house and I have to sleep inna the market.”

Dyer strongly suspects that whoever has been burglarising her establishments has easy access into the Commercial Centre because there are no signs of forced entry into the main building.

Suzy Dyer
“The person suppose to have a key to come into the building and then he broke like he put something there and then eh break into my place so and from deh he maybe tek out the things and come outside. When we come this morning the place lock, so this person must key to come and go.”

This wood panel removed from the burglar bar gate to Medina’s Silver Jewellery and Souvenirs suggest that the person may have also tried to get into that booth. Dyer says since it is her businesses that have been mostly affected, she believes she is being targeted … but does not know why.

Suzy Dyer
“Only when I stay here nothing happen. When I no stay yah somebody look fi bruk into my place. Why only me?”

“I peeped through my place, I see lot of things missing. I noh know if they tek anything, any money or anything from in deh because the police noh come fi see what happened inside.”

Dyer says she started operating from inside the Commercial Centre eleven years ago.

Dyer says she is hoping that in addition to the daytime security now in place, the Belize City Council will look into posting a night time guard at the Commercial Centre.