Three arrested for I.C.B. deposit robbery

Employees making company deposits at local banks have become a popular target for criminals. Late Thursday evening, another such attack took place on the Northern Highway. News Five’s Jacqueline Godwin has the details.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
According to authorities, this is the Ford Escort five robbery suspects used to stalk their victim before holding him up at the Scotia Bank branch on the Northern Highway.

Around six on Thursday evening thirty-five year old Nilberto Leiva went to the bank to deposit the day?s receipts from The Insurance Corporation of Belize. But as Leiva walked towards the building, two men cut him off. One held the bank?s security guard at gunpoint while an accomplice put a handgun to Leiva and then grabbed a brown manila envelope containing some fourteen thousand dollars in cash and cheques.

The bandits jumped in a waiting car … but they would not get far.

A couple of off duty officers from the Anti-Drug Unit were in the area when heard the call for help. Police Constables Harold Grinage and Adrian Lopez intercepted the getaway vehicle on Bachelor Avenue in the West Landivar Area. The cops say even though someone in the car shot at them, they continued the pursuit.

A.S.P. Chester Williams, Head of C.I.B.
?When they apprehended the vehicle the five persons were inside the vehicle, but they were getting ready to evacuate the vehicle. However, the police swiftness again led to them apprehending three of the suspects and two escaping. A subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in the discovery of one point thirty-eight revolver and just over fourteen thousand dollars in cash and cheques. A search of the bush of where the vehicle was found not too far away from where the vehicle was found led to the discovery of another point thirty-eight revolver. All suspects, the vehicle and items found were taken to the police station.?

The three suspects have been identified as Shane Budran, William Vasquez and Kylon Garbutt. All three were immediately taken into custody and charged. Williams says while they believe the victim was followed from ICB to Scotia Bank, they are also investigating whether the perpetrators had inside help.

Chester Williams
?Based on our investigation, yes. They went to the area of Daly Street, where the company is located, and they watched him leave I.C.B. compound. They knew he was heading to the Scotiabank on the Northern Highway, so they went up there to lay wait him. When he got up there then they attacked him hoping that it would have been much easier for them to escape on the highway than within the city.?

Jacqueline Godwin
?At this time do police believe it may have been an inside job as well? How did they know that Mr. Leiva at this specific time would have been making a deposit?

Chester Williams
?We are looking at all the possibilities. I am almost certain that there is some sort of inside connection. Because as you rightly mentioned the information as to Mr. Leiva leaving the company and going to Scotiabank is not something that is known by everybody, so there must have been able to get the information from somebody within the organization. So we are looking at that possibility like wise.?

Williams says anonymous tips reported to authorities before the attack prove the crime was premeditated but a lack of specific information meant the police were unable to prevent the robbery.

Chester Williams
?About three days ago we received information of these same set of people planning to go and rob somewhere but we didn?t have the right information as to where they were going to rob. So when it happened yesterday we expected it. The police were right on top of it, and we must applaud the effort of the Anti-Drug Unit who responded quickly in apprehending these persons.?

Jacqueline Godwin
?We understand that at least two of the suspects are no stranger to the police and they may have actually been involved with the hold-up and robbery at the Radisson.?

Chester Williams
?Shane Budran and William Vasquez. They are a group of persons that having been operating together for a period time now. As you mentioned, they are no strangers to the police in Belize. Not only in Belize but also in San Ignacio, where they have been arrested and charged for crimes such as robberies in San Ignacio likewise.?

Budran, Vasquez and Garbutt have been charged with robbery, aggravated assault and keeping an unlicensed firearm and ammunition.

Jacqueline Godwin for News Five.

The police credit assistance from concerned community members for the quick arrests in this case. As for the two other people believed to be involved in the robbery, one man has already been detained for questioning but police say they are still looking for another.