78 year old America national robbed in his house at gunpoint

And while no alert occurred in time to save some of newborns, the neighbor of an elderly American Citizen was prevented from alerting him of the impending danger at his doorstep. No life was lost but a home invasion at gunpoint is one of the most harrowing experiences that can occur to a person.  U.S. national, Albert Reich told his tale to News Five.

Isani Cayetano, Reporting

A daring home invasion at the residence of seventy-eight year old Albert Reich, an American national visiting Belize, has left him severely shaken up.  On Wednesday night, an armed trio of men entered his property at mile nineteen on the George Price Highway and proceeded to hold up his neighbor at gunpoint.  His neighbor, identified as forty-five year old Brian Emmanuel, was then coerced into drawing Reich out of the house.

Voice of: Albert Reich, Victim of Home Invasion

“Well, they had the neighbor call my name so I opened the door for my neighbor and then they rushed in and clubbed me on my head with the gun and they tied us up with plastic ties and gagged us and started kicking us and hitting us and asking for the safe, asking for money, asking for the truck keys.  If we wouldn’t give them any of those things they threatened to shoot us.  I believe I was kicked about four times, hit with the pistol about three times.”

Isani Cayetano

“At that point you surrender your belongings, specifically the money that they were asking for.  What took place thereafter?”

Voice of: Albert Reich

“Well, after that then they tossed everything in the house on the ground looking for more stuff and then they kicked us and hit us again and just before they left the fellow was crouched down and cut my back in several places and asked me how that felt and then the lights went dark and then they left.”

Reich had just finalized the sale of a vehicle he imported into the country and was in possession of the money when the incident occurred.  In police custody is a watchman he had only just hired the day before.  Reich believes that the aggravated burglary was the result of an inside job.

Isani Cayetano

“Can you provide us with a description of any of these three assailants?”

Voice of: Albert Reich

“Well the tall fellow had a homemade mask, I could see his eyes.  They were brown eyes.  He looked tall and slender.  The other fellow that I noticed rushed in first he’s pretty well built, he looked quite, somewhat familiar, he looked like the person I thought I had a decent watchperson here.  He may be related.  I believe that the person that set this up that was gonna work here is probably on drugs, crack I guess and very agitated the day before.  He just didn’t act normal.  I think he knew something was going to happen.”

His assailants made good with the proceeds, as well as a bunch of keys to the residence.

Voice of: Albert Reich

“Probably about twenty-eight hundred Belize dollars and they stole the keys from the house here.  They wanted to steal the truck but I didn’t know where the keys were so they left that and that’s about what they got, plus an empty safe about ten inches squared, about a hundred pounds.”

Isani Cayetano

“Has this, in any way, changed your impression of Belize or visiting Belize?”

Voice of: Albert Reich

“Not really.  The weather is nice, most of the people are nice.  I think this can happen anywhere, I know it does happen in the States.  It’s a bad thing and if I can do anything to stop it I would.  I told the police officers that if they find somebody and they get a trial that I definitely will come back to testify.”

Ladyville police have since detained the watchman, identified as Eduardo Chi, a resident of Libertad Village, for questioning. Reporting for News Five, I am Isani Cayetano.