Cayo Resident Attacked on a Bus

There was chaos on a Westline Bus this afternoon as a passenger was attacked. Early reports to News Five indicate that San Ignacio resident Conrad Thomas boarded the two-thirty-bus at the Welcome Center in San Ignacio, bound for Belmopan. Somewhere around Esperanza, about fifteen minutes out of San Ignacio, Thomas was approached by another man and wounded in the head. There is some confusion about the attack at this time, perhaps understandable because the bus was full, with standees in the aisle. First indications were that Thomas was shot in the head at close range, but there are conflicting reports that instead he may have been hit in the head with a pistol. News Five spoke to investigator and Deputy Commander of the Cayo Formation Reymundo Reyes via phone after the attack.

ASP Reymundo Reyes, Deputy Commander, Cayo Formation

“One Conrad Thomas was traveling on a Westline bus towards the direction of Belmopan City. Upon reaching Esperanza Village, it appears that a male persons who he had slight confrontation at the Welcome Center before boarding the bus approached him from behind and that is when he sustained an injury to the right side of his head. The initial information given to the police was that he was shot to the head. We are currently questioning people who were on the bus but most of them are saying that they did not hear the sound of any gunshot. The girlfriend that was sitting beside him is saying that she heard a knock, but that yes she saw that the individual did have a weapon in his right hand after knocking her or shooting at Mister Thomas.”

Mike Rudon

“Could we clarify at this point how the individual get on the bus? Did he flag down the bus while it was traveling?”

Reymundo Reyes

ASP Reymundo Reyes

“No, they caught the bus right at the Welcome Center area also.”

Mike Rudon

“Okay, cause we had gotten reports that they flagged down the bus by Esperanza and then came in through the rare of the vehicle.”

ASP Reymundo Reyes

“No, no. well we have been getting sketchy reports similar to that but at the moment we are questioning the girlfriend of Mister Conrad and it appears, according to her story, that she can confirm that the person did come on to the bus at the Welcome Center area. Yes, the bus was run down by a taxi who brought in a female who boarded the bus when this said individual was seen coming through the backdoor. There is a possibility that the person was somewhere in the front of the bus, because the bus had standees, and he came off of the bus when the female brought by the taxi was boarding and that is when he came through the back and came in through the back door.”

Mike Rudon

“Could you explain to us the process? I understand that police have two persons in custody. How did you catch these persons?”

ASP Reymundo Reyes

“These are based on information from the bus who saw persons running out of the bus; they took and certain direction and that is where they directed police. With the aid of the village, they pointed out a certain area to the police and two persons were detained.”

Mike Rudon

“Could you tell us the condition of Mister Thomas at this time?”

ASP Reymundo Reyes

“Mister Thomas is in a stable condition; the injury as I said is not serious. He is being treated and will be discharged from the hospital and then we will be interviewing him.”

According to Reyes investigators are at the San Ignacio Hospital waiting for Thomas to be released, and also for doctors to confirm the cause of the injury to his head.