Robbery and murder in Las Flores, Belmopan

Manuel Aquino

A robbery at a bar in Las Flores, Belmopan turned deadly for one of two patrons. The incident happened just past midnight on Saturday. There were at least four persons on duty as well as the manager, Joshua Lopez. A resident Salvadoran national and a visiting friend, also from Salvador, were at the neighborhood bar when the armed men entered the establishment. The two patrons intervened to prevent the robbery and this is when the robbers turned their guns on them. The thieves were able to rob the bar of thousands of dollars before making good their escape in Lopez’s car. Duane Moody spoke to the family of the survivor.

Duane Moody, Reporting

Just after twelve-ten a.m. on Sunday, four armed men dressed in full black and wearing masks and gloves robbed La Choza del Cabrito Bar in Las Flores, Belmopan. Over thirty-six hundred dollars in cash were stolen from the manger of the establishment as well as his cell phone and his car was used as the getaway vehicle. But the incident turned fatal when two patrons, intervened during the robbery and as a result were shot; one died on the spot. Lorena Aquino, who works as a waitress at the bar, had just taken a quick break to go to her house located adjacent to the establishment when she heard several gun blasts. Moments later she realized that her husband, fifty year old Manuel Aquino, was a victim.

Lorena Aquino, Wife of Shooting Victim (Translated)

“In truth, I worked there. But for five minutes, I went home; that’s next door. When I went that’s when the gunshots went off. The other waitresses ran to my house knocking on the door and told me what happened. When I heard the shots, I opened my window and looked out and I saw nothing; I only heard the shots. It was my husband that was injured and one of his friends is dead. He is Salvadoran and he only came to visit for some days and was gonna return home.”

Lorena Aquino

While her husband was hit once to the leg, forty-three year old Salvadoran national, Isabel Antonio Ballona, died on the spot when he was hit to the heart and abdomen.  Both were rushed to the Western Regional Hospital. Aquino has since been admitted in a stable condition.

Lorena Aquino (Translated)

“My husband has a gunshot wound to the leg here and the bullet entered here, and it exited and hit him on the other leg. But the other guy, got two shots—one here and the other here. He died on the spot because it hit his heart. When it comes to my husband’s condition, I believe they will operate his leg because right now they will do some tests on him and they won’t release him to me. The doctors would know more. But I don’t believe it is critical because he moves his feet…but for some reason they won’t release him.”

Asst. Supt. Sinquest Martinez, Officer Commanding, Belmopan

“While the robbery was taking place, the now deceased and the other victim who were patrons of the establishment went to aid the manager of the establishment when the robbers fired a couple shots and caught both of them. Subsequently, one passed away.  During the robbery, when the robbers did left, they did manage to get the manager’s key for his car which was stolen, a geo prism 2000, white in color.”

It is the first time that the La Choza del Cabrito has been robbed. And according to Officer Commanding the Belmopan Formation, Assistant Superintendent Sinquest Martinez, it is believed that while the robbery was planned, the murder was not the assailants’ intent.

Sinquest Martinez

Asst. Supt. Sinquest Martinez

“Initial investigation reveal that the manager of the business establishment reported to the police that while he was there with his waitresses along with some customers, they were accosted by four male persons, who ordered the manager of the establishment to go on the ground and proceeded to rob him and the establishment.”

According to police reports, four men—two nineteen year olds, an eighteen year old and a fifteen year old minor—all from Belmopan, were detained hours later in connection with this latest homicide in the old capital. Since then, three others have also been taken into custody.

Supt. Sinquest Martinez

“Due to our hard work and dedication and overdrive into this investigation that recently we were being plagued with, we managed to find the car in Belmopan City and one of them was coming from the car and that’s how we managed to crack the case so far.”

Reporter

“What leads you to believe that they are persons of interests?”

Supt. Sinquest Martinez

“Of the items we have found. We found it on them and the items have been identified by the proprietor and the other witnesses in the case.”

Duane Moody

“Are these people known to the police?”

Supt. Sinquest Martinez

“So far we have detained six persons. Yesterday and today, we detained another person. So we are just doing what needs to be done, put it together, have these statements recorded.”

According to Superintendent Martinez, the persons detained are part of a gang and the department strongly believes that they are responsible for many criminal activities that have been occurring within Garden City. Duane Moody for News Five.

The stolen items as well as the cash have all been recovered.