Separate accused robbers appear in court

A twenty thousand-dollar Rolex watch that was stolen during a break-in more than a month ago has turned up in a pawn shop. According to court reports, on Thursday, twenty-eight year-old taxi driver, Derrick Cervantes took the watch to Monica’s Jewellery located in the Commercial Centre and sold it to manager, Gilroy Usher, Jr., for fifteen hundred dollars. The cops were tipped off and tonight Cervantes is charged with handling stolen goods. He pleaded not guilty and was offered bail of five thousand dollars. The case against Cervantes has been adjourned until February fourth. On November first, the home of Belize City resident Eric Chang was burglarized and the thief or thieves stole thousands of dollars in jewellery, a laptop and a twelve gauge pump action shotgun. Two days later, twenty-five year old Carlos Castro was charged in connection to the crime but so far the Rolex is only missing item to turn up.

In other court news, two men have taken to accusing each other for the disappearance of five hundred and fifty dollars. According to Belize City Chef Karl Bachman, around ten o’clock on the night of November first, he was walking on North Front Street when a man with a gun walked up to him and demanded money. But when the accused thief, thirty-three year old Anthony Major, showed up in court today he told a very different story to Magistrate Sharon Fraser. Major says Bachman came to him wanting to buy cocaine and in exchange for the money, he sold him crushed pieces of Andrews antacid. After hearing that explanation, Magistrate Fraser decided to let the truth come out during trial. Major has been remanded to Hattieville Prison until February seventh.