Businessman draws first, chases bandits

Another Belize City resident had his name written on a bullet but a quick mind and reflexes to match allowed him to foil a trio of armed robbers. Here’s his story.

Oscar Rosado, Sr., Victim of attempted hold up /robbery
?When the third one walked in, I saw when he brought down his hat and was pulling his gun. I always have my licensed thirty-eight special with me. And when I saw that and I hurriedly took out my gun and fired a warning shot at them.?

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Five years ago fifty-eight year old Oscar Rosado, Sr. was shot in the back after thieves entered his hardware store on Cemetery Road and stole an undisclosed amount from the cash register. Last Friday, when three suspicious looking young men tried their luck Rosado was prepared. Rosado says around three thirty on Friday evening he was standing behind this stack of cement bags in the middle of the store when his attention was drawn to three young men. That?s when instinct kicked in.

Oscar Rosado, Sr.
?I saw three guys drop their bicycles right at the front. Two walked in and I said what can I do for you? They did not answer.?

Jacqueline Godwin
?You weren?t taking any chances this time?

Oscar Rosado, Sr.
?No, no chances. He was going for the gun you know I saw it, so I immediately took out my gun and fired a shot. One shot was for warning. If they continued then I would shoot again and then to hurt them.?

One shot though did the job. All three suspects hot footed it out of the establishment leaving their bicycles behind, which have been claimed by the police. Rosado says although he was able to save himself and family from being shot, the incident takes him back to 1999, when two days before Christmas he almost lost his life at the hands of an armed robber.

Oscar Rosado, Sr.
?He took the money and when he was leaving, thank God the one with the shotgun did not fire, but the one who took the money, he had a small gun and when he was leaving he shot me in the back.?

Rosado, who has been in businessman for more than ten years, says he plans to heighten security but admits the crime situation has gotten out of hand.

Oscar Rosado, Sr.
?Very bad, very bad. I think the police work hard and everything but when they got to court they are free next day, so something is wrong. I don?t know what is wrong but something is wrong. When they go to court two, three days and you see them out there again doing the same thing.?

Rosado?s wife and his young grandchildren were inside the shop at the time of the incident.

Jacqueline Godwin for News Five.