Disgruntled employee robs businesswoman

Monday night was a scary one for a Belize City businessman. Sixty-four year old Evan Blades of ice cream parlour fame was at his Freetown Road home watching television when just before 9:00 he heard someone opening his front door with a key. The visitor turned out to be a former employee, Jason Elijio, but instead of a house gift, Elijio brandished a thirty-eight-calibre pistol and demanded Blades’ money, as well as threatening to kill him and his wife. A struggle ensued between the two men in which one shot was fired into the ceiling. At that point the intruder left the house, but not before grabbing Blades’ gold chain and hitting Mrs. Blades on the side of the head with his gun. The twenty-four year old Elijio of Mahogany Street was later arrested and charged with aggravated burglary, wounding and aggravated assault. Elijio had been previously fired from his restaurant job by Mrs. Blades.