Businessman Fights Off Armed Assailants during Botched Robbery
A minor and an eighteen-year-old man were today arrested by Belize City police after they allegedly attempted to rob a fruit and vegetable shop. The botched robbery happened at around ten o’clock on Coney Drive at Anna Delia’s Food Shop. The family told News Five that two young men first appeared, wanting to buy bananas but they returned claiming that the bananas were rotten. That is when the father began feeling uneasy, suspecting that the duo was up to no good and rightfully so. One of the young men was armed with a nine-millimeter pistol which he attempted to use in the failed robbery. The father struggled with the assailants in the attempt to get a hold of the firearm. Shots were fired during the struggle and the thieves fled the scene, later to be captured by police. News Five’s Hipolito Novelo reports.
Hipolito Novelo, Reporting
Minutes after ten o’clock this morning a 911 call led police to Anna Delia Food Shop on Coney Drive, Belize City. Two young men, one brandishing a nine millimeter pistol attempted to rob the fruit and vegetable stall. The young men first appeared to be customers, wanting to buy bananas. But their suspicious behavior when they returned to the business, led the owner to believe that they were up to no good.
Voice of: Victim
“They came first early morning and wanted to buy bananas. So we give them the bananas and they came back and said that the bananas weren’t good. That is was rotten. So my mother told them to change it if they wanted. My dad was there and my dad knew that the guy h ad a gun by him side. My dad grabbed a knife and put it behind him just in case of anything. The guy told my dad to remove the knife from his back. When he told him that, he pulled out the gun and pulled the thing and one of the bullets dropped.”
The father attempted to wrestle away the gun away from the assailant. During the brief struggle, about six shots were fired. Fortunately no one was injured. Police have two suspects detained.
Voice of: Victim
“The guy drop the gun and he started running and my dad started to chase him behind with his pick up. So then police came and I guess one of them was captured by UB section.”
Hipolito Novelo
“Only one of them had a weapon?”
Voice of Victim
“Yes one of them had I guess the nine millimeter gun. I guess it was a nine millimeter. I am not sure.”
Hipolito Novelo
“How many people were under the shed?”
Voice of Victim
“Like three people were underneath this shed. “
Alejandro Cowo
ASP Alejandro Cowo, O.C., C.I.B., Belize City
“So far police recovered the six expended shells and the nine millimeter pistol that was found at the scene. The suspects are a minor and an eighteen year old.”
The thieves managed to flee from the scene with a few dollars. Reporting for News Five I am Hipolito Novelo.
