Security guard foils robber at Western Union
It may be a bit early for the Christmas crime season, but that didn’t stop robbers and thieves from making their presence felt last night and this morning in Belize City. The criminals, who met with varying levels of success, are being pursued by police…and in one case, a suspect was chased by a very dedicated security guard. Ann-Marie Williams reports.
Ann-Marie Williams, Reporting
A brave security guard foiled a robbery in Belize City this morning and may have even saved some lives. According to the guard–who didn’t want to appear on camera–a dark skinned young man entered the Western Union Agency at Cambranes Store on Freetown Road and Douglas Jones Street around 9:20 a.m. and proceeded to fill out a form to receive money. While the manager was checking the computer, the young man sat down in the guard’s seat in the office. The security officer said it was at that moment that things changed.
Voice of Security Guard
“When I looked at the boss of the place, he used the opportunity and stand up really fast and got out his knife to stab me by the neck. He put it directly to my throat…I grabbed it, you can see the bruise of the knife here(points to arm). He then started grabbing my gun. So while he was grabbing my gun, I just put more effort and push him out of the door, so that we can do the fight outside. So we were still fighting, grabbing for the gun because he was targeting the gun, since I’ve disposed him of the knife. I had the knife on my left-hand side and with my right hand, I was protecting my gun to get it, instead of him. As soon as he got access to my gun he might have shot me and get access to rob the place.”
Ann-Marie Williams
“So you ran him down?”
Voice of Security Guard
“I dragged him outside during the fight and I got my gun and released one bullet.”
The guard then chased him over this fence and shot at him a second time. None of the bullets caught him, however, as the guard said, he didn’t want to kill him, only to subdue him.
The would be robber ran into Kelly Street, where, leaving his tennis shoes behind, he disappeared into the neighbourhood. Police have also recovered the knife he held at the guard’s throat, his bicycle, bag and cap. Ann-Marie Williams for News 5.
The assailant, identified as Kenrick Skeet, is being sought by police.