Three detained in armed robbery of Chinese Shop
A twenty two member delegation from the Republic of China on Taiwan may be touring the country to promote investment, but while the high powered visitors are being wined and dined in fancy hotels and restaurants, their less well connected brethren continue to take their licks on the mean streets of Belize City.
Today, members of the Run family of number twelve Antelope Street are lucky to be alive, after three young men opened fire with a sawed off shot gun inside their shop. The incident, which took place shortly after nine Tuesday night, has left the neighborhood angry and frustrated as this latest incident makes it the fourth time that a Chinese grocery shop in their area has been hit. Although the family declined to speak on camera, they did tell us that the men, who wore warm caps, walked up to the shop and asked Mr. Xu Run for 2 Guinness and a pack of snickers. But as Run was handing over the beers, one of the men pulled out a gun and demanded money. According to ASP Simeon Alvarez, Head of CIB, the shopkeeper then went into his pocket and pulled out several coins. The robbers apparently were not amused.
ASP Simeon Alvarez, Head of CIB
“The shot missed Run, tore through the stores’ partition wall and exited through the other end of the building, narrowly missing Run’s wife and fourteen year old daughter who was standing in the back room. The men then fled the scene. But while the robbers may have thought they had a clean break, a neighbor, who wishes to remain anonymous, saw the entire incident, as he made his way towards the grocery shop.”
Eyewitness
“I was running to the Chinese shop and when I went there, the three guys has a gun, and telling him run it, run it, two Guinness and a snickers, but when I see them, I run from them. Then afterwards they run a little bit, like fifteen steps from the chiney man. Then afterwards, I gone back to see what they want to jack, then afterwards they run back. then they look in the chiney man shop, cause they think the chiney man was at the back of the house, then they shoot and afterwards they run so. I wanted to take away the gun, but three of them had knives so I never do anything, I left them right there so. I mi think that they would have shoot after we sake a we saw them.”
Shortly after the incident the police quickly had in custody. Eighteen year old Kenrick Johnson and two fourteen year olds.
The three young men are expected to be jointly charged with attempted murder, attempted robbery and discharging a firearm in public. According to police, two other youths are being sought who may be charged with conspiracy.
