Delivery truck driver steals 2,000 gallons of boss’ butane
It’s a crime that will probably become common as the cost of fuel and butane continues to skyrocket: the theft of those basic commodities. In this case however, a Belize City delivery truck driver has been arrested and charged for trying to rip off his own boss. According to the management of Gas Tomza Limited, over two consecutive weekends in April someone stole more than two thousand gallons of butane from their compound at mile four and half on the Northern Highway. The first amount was noted and a trap was set so when the thief came back a second time the company was ready.
Manuel Martin, Gen. Man., Gas Tomza Butane Company
“Anything go missing we know, but you’re talking bout wahn quantity that is recognisable. You di talk bout wahn good amount a gallons go missing ahn dat call fi serious investigation.”
Marion Ali
“So yoh think it was being taken out bit by bit and not a whole lump some first?”
Manuel Martin
“It’s a whole lump some, the two occasion dah lump some. We were monitoring and we were waiting for the culprit to fall.”
Marion Ali
“How did he fall?”
Manuel Martin
“We had our own way of getting information out ah them and they got it and the police was present so, we tek care ah dat immediately and den ah turn everything over to the Police Department.”
Marion Ali
“Can you tell us how much money this amounts to?”
Manuel Martin
“I think it’s over nine thousand dollars.”
Marion Ali
“And you have a stricter way of screening things now?”
Manuel Martin
“We implement more security and we had it before already but we wahn step it up more again.”
Marion Ali
“So this can’t happen again?”
Manuel Martin
“Noh, noh. We have strict controls.”
Police initially arrested Tomza’s delivery truck driver twenty-five year old Sylvestre Maldonado and the company’s security guard, Pedro Sanchez for the theft but has since withdrawn the charge against Sanchez after Maldonado reportedly confessed to the crime. In court today Maldonado pled not guilty to the offence. He was offered and met bail of five thousand dollars and ordered to return to court on June third.
