Accused Serial Thief Arraigned in Court

Dorian Blair

Chinese businessman Jing Xiao Tan, proprietor of T Supermarket in Lord’s Bank Village, was robbed at gunpoint on Monday night and was relieved of three thousand, two hundred dollars in cash, as well as his licensed nine millimeter pistol.  Late this afternoon, twenty-one-year-old Dorian Blair, the suspect whom police believe committed the crime, appeared before Chief Magistrate Anne Marie Smith.  Blair was arraigned on charges of robbery and handling stolen goods.  It is alleged that Blair, accompanied by two other men, robbed the grocer sometime around nine o’clock on November twenty-first while he was standing at the entrance of the supermarket.  As it relates to the charge of handling stolen goods, Blair was found in possession of a laptop that was reportedly stolen from the home of Edgar Young.  In a statement given to police, Young said that he had left his house momentarily and upon returning, observed that his residence had been burglarized.  Taken were several personal items, including electronic devices, jewelry and the laptop computer.  On Tuesday, when Blair was detained for the robbery of the Chinese businessman he was found in possession of the laptop which he signed for as his property.  When the officers subsequently turned on the machine, Young’s picture was displayed on the screen.  In court, Blair pleaded not guilty to both charges.  Due to the nature of the offenses, since it is alleged that the robbery was committed with a firearm, he was denied bail and remanded to the Belize Central Prison until February thirty-first, 2017.  Blair is being represented by attorney Bryan Neal.