Pou’s Meat Pie proprietor stabbed in robbery

Popular Belize City businessman Arturo Francisco, proprietor of Pou’s Meat Pies, today underwent surgery for knife wounds after a daylight jacking at his shop on New Road. According to his common-law wife Rosalia Pou, around twelve-forty-five this afternoon she was at the back of the building when she heard a commotion out front and went to investigate. Upon arriving, Pou said she saw a man jumping over the counter and running through the door. Francisco later related to her that he was about to close up shop when a young man approached him wanting to buy a soft drink. The seventy-three year old proprietor reportedly told the youth that he did not have change for a twenty-dollar bill, but the young man insisted on buying something and took out fifty cents. After Francisco agreed to sell him fifty cents worth of fudge, the young man reportedly followed him inside the shop. At some point a struggle ensued and while Francisco wrestled with his attacker, a second young man, who was apparently waiting outside, rushed in, grabbed the cash drawer and left. In their haste to exit the shop, one of the jackers abandoned his slippers, which police later collected at the scene. According to Pou, at first it was thought that Francisco only suffered a superficial stab wound during his struggle, but late this afternoon we were informed that he was undergoing surgery at the K.H.M.H. It is not certain how much money the robbers escaped with, but the empty cash drawer was later found abandoned in a nearby alley and returned to the shop. Late word is that the police have picked up two suspects in connection with this afternoon’s incident. According to Pou, this is the first time in twenty-one years of business that the well-known shop has been robbed.