922 hotline takes credit for porn bust
The case of a Cayo businessman busted on Monday for selling pornographic DVD?s today got more interesting as information on what led to the arrest of twenty-seven year old Amir Frutos became public. While cops out west get the credit for cuffing the suspect, secretary of the Board of directors for the Rotary Club, Laura Esquivel says the Crimestoppers programme was instrumental in the arrest.
Laura Esquivel, Secretary, Rotary Board of Directors
?We?re very happy right now. We?ve just transferred the 922 over to ring in Miami, Dade, and in less than a week we have our first success story. Somebody called in with a tip to 922. Within ten minutes of receiving the tip, the tip was transferred down to coordinator here, that news was then passed on to the police and within a half hour of the news going to the police, we?ve had an arrest and today, the person is being charged.?
Patrick Jones
?What happens now?
Laura Esquivel
?Well what happens now is that the person who called in the tip would dial 922 again with whatever code they were given, and they will be informed that they can receive a cash reward.?
Patrick Jones
?Do you think this will continue to encourage people to support the 922 crime stoppers??
Laura Esquivel
?We certainly hope so and with more success stories, we know that we will start to get more tips. People will know that their tips are being followed up on and that they can get cash award and that they are doing something good for their community by helping to reduce crime.?
Frutos appeared in San Ignacio Magistrate?s Court this afternoon, charged with producing obscene objects, possession of obscene objects, and exhibiting obscene objects. He pleaded not guilty and was released on bail of two thousand five hundred dollars. He is to reappear in court on September thirteenth. Police have also confiscated two computers which are believed to have been used in downloading of the explicit movies from the internet and then burning them onto DVDs. Viewers are reminded that while in this instance the 922 hotline was used to report a crime, the proper procedure for reporting a crime in progress is to call 911. 922 is reserved for anonymous tips for crimes already committed.
