2 arrested in armed robbery in Belize City
Tonight, a Belize City businessman is recovering from gunshot wounds after a brazen robbery at his store on Tuesday. According to police press officer G. Michael Reid, surveillance cameras captured the scene that unfolded around eight that night when three men, one armed with a handgun, entered J and K supermarket on Teacher’s Street and demanded money. Thirty-two year old Lin Zhi Xin was behind the counter, his pregnant wife sitting just outside the doorway. Without warning the gunman opened fire, two of which hit Lin, one in his left thigh and the other in his left arm. As blood gushed from his wounds, one thief reached over and grabbed the entire cash register. At this point, Lin pulled out his licensed nine-millimetre handgun, but police say the weapon failed and the frustrated victim threw it at his attackers. News Five understands that the perpetrators picked up the gun before escaping in a small dark sedan. Lin was rushed to the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital, as was his seven months pregnant wife who, as a result of the stress of the attack, began to experience severe pain in her abdomen. When investigating officers visited the scene this morning, two suspects had already been detained.
A.S.P. Chester Williams, Head, C.I.B.
“The incident occurred on Tuesday night, sometime around eight p.m. We received a call from the neighbourhood that there was a robbery in the area, the police officers visit and upon the visit they were told that a person had been shot and was transported to the hospital. The hospital was visited where we found a Chinese businessman, the owner of the store, suffering from two gunshot wounds, one to the thigh, and one to the arm. Since then we have been investigating this matter and we have, so far, two persons detained that we are interviewing in connection with this incident and we are continuing our work on it… From our investigations, so far, we can see that the persons were wearing masks and indeed shots were fired because obviously, one person is injured as a result of gunshot wounds.”
According to police, the thieves made off with an empty cash register as all monies had been removed. In fact, we understand the only things inside were three cancelled checks. Late this evening police charged twenty-three year old Gary White of Kraal Road in Belize City with robbery, attempted murder, dangerous harm, and use of deadly means of harm in connection with the crime. They are currently seeking two more suspects. As for Lin’s wife, affectionately known as Kitty, she remains traumatised by the incident, but protected by burglar bar doors, she was behind the store’s counter this morning serving customers.
