Hector Armando Monterosa, What’s His Role in Toyota Hilux Thefts?

Edin Salinas

Last week Belmopan Police narrowly missed capturing a man who was stealing a Toyola Hilux assigned to the Department of Archaeology. He abandoned the vehicle and escaped in the bushes near Georgeville in the Cayo District, despite searches by the K9 unit. Still, police have pursued the matter relentlessly, and today one man was charged and arraigned for abetment. At least six government assigned vehicles, all Toyota pickups, have been stolen in recent weeks, and Belmopan police believe that the Belize Diesel employee in custody can help to break the case for them. But they are looking for a second suspect, believed to be the mastermind behind the theft of the high-end government vehicles, and have circulated the information of Edin Salinas, a mechanic of Belmopan.

Via Phone: Supt. Howard Gillett, O.C., Belmopan Police Formation

“A maintenance man from Belize Diesel and Equipment was arrested; we believe that he…well the evidence is suggesting that he is a part of this ring. His name is Hector Armando Monterosa, Belizean maintenance man of St. Matthews Village, Cayo District. He was charged with the crime of abetment to commit theft. He has since been taken to court and his case has been adjourned until fifteenth January 2015.”

Mike Rudon

“Sir I understand that the link which brought you all to arresting this guy is that all the vehicle had been taken for servicing just that short while before they were stolen?”

Via Phone: Supt. Howard Gillett

Howard Gillett

“Well I don’t want to say…it is not in all the cases, but that is one area that we investigated from. And that is part of what led us to this guy who we believe maintained the vehicles while they were there and took possession of the keys.”

Mike Rudon

“Sir we’ve also been told that there are a couple other persons that you all are looking at including somebody from Builder’s Hardware where you all believe that the keys were cut?”

Via Phone: Supt. Howard Gillett

“Well a person from that establishment was detained but he has since been released. He was part of the investigation; that much I can say as it relates to that.”

Mike Rudon

“Can you tell us if this person that you all have charged has given any information that can lead to the detention of the person who escaped?”

Via Phone: Supt. Howard Gillett

“No I cannot say that. That could be detrimental to people’s lives. But what I can tell you is that the person who is the mastermind behind that and is the person who was driving the vehicle, we know that person as I alluded to in previous interview. And we will soon bring closure to that in the sense that he will be brought and charged for the crime of theft. But we believe that he is not at his last residence; he might have moved to a different location, which I do not want to disclose. But we know who we are looking for and we are getting help in locating him.”

Mike Rudon

“Can you tell us if this is somebody who lives in Belmopan?”

Via Phone: Supt. Howard Gillett

“Yes, he is from Belmopan.”

Police believe the stolen vehicles have been taken across the border to Guatemala.