Caught on Camera: Armed Robberies in the North and West

Over the weekend, there were a string of armed robberies reported in the Orange Walk and Cayo Districts as well as at sea within the Bacalar Chico Marine Reserve. The Belize Police Department and the Belize Coast Guard are actively working to solve these property crimes and are narrowing down on the culprits. Tonight, News Five’s Duane Moody reports on the surveillance videos that captured the frightening moments.

Duane Moody, Reporting

In the Orange Walk District on Friday night, armed robbers targeted Wendy’s Store on the Otro Benque Road. As patrons stood in line waiting to be dealt with by the cashier, three men wearing shorts and hoodies entered the shop; the one in black wielded a gun, while the other in red went behind the counter and proceeded to rob the establishment of about four hundred dollars in cash. The elderly proprietor, sixty-eight-year-old Yu Zhen Li is assaulted by the gunman while his wife Shan cowers in the corner.

In the west, there was also an armed robbery at Super Q Mart on Bullet Tree Road in San Ignacio. Two men – one wearing a red helmet and carrying a knapsack and another wearing a camouflage bucket hat and wielding a firearm – enter the store and after removing the protective shield at the counter, proceed to rob the shop owner of an undisclosed amount of money. No one was injured and police, we are told, know who the culprits are.

Communications Director Assistant Superintendent Fitzroy Yearwood says that the department is carrying out operations to curb these property crimes.

Fitzroy Yearwood

ASP Fitzroy Yearwood, Communications Director, Belize Police Department

“We, as a department, are working on the identity of these persons because we believe that these persons originate from Belize City. We are asking the general public to stop wearing these fishermen-type masks – because in this video, it is clear to be seen that this person was wearing a black one – and stick to more the surgical mask or at least this one that you can identify yourself or people can identify you through. The moment you come out with that type of mask, you have some form of intent. The police department will not let easy on these robberies and our ultimate aim is if we cannot stop it, we will decrease it. We have several measures that we have taken operation-wise that we believe will bring a decrease in these sort of incidents.”

Duane Moody for News Five.