One man is dead and five are at large - either in Mexico or Belize - after yesterday's daring armed robbery of the Belize Bank in Orange Walk.
Police have confirmed that $51,000 was stolen from the bank - and $20,000 of that was recovered after one of the robbers - dropped a moneybag while running from police fire when he got out of the bank.
And while there is now confirmed information - there are no new developments - but that wasn't enough to stop the Commissioner of Police from pulling a page right out of Ornel Brooks' book when he held a press conference this morning - to disclose all the police knew including the identity of the single robber who was killed - here's the story.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
Commissioner of Police Jose Zetina and senior superintendent Edwardo Wade who is heading the investigation - say they are 90% certain of the identity of this man who was shot by police as he tried to get away from the bank. He is Gregorio Rivas Ayala - a Salvadoran who was applying for Belizean nationality. He is believed to have last lived in Caye Caulker with a Belizean woman Luisa Maria Marin. He is one member of a group of what police are saying were five heavily armed, well-prepared men who took the bank.
Edwardo Wade, Lead Investigator
"Shot guns were involved, 20 gauge, 12 gauge, we know a 9mm were involved, and we also know 330 and a 45 were involved so these are heavy caliber weapon."
"All the criminals or robbers for that matter were wearing glove. We know that they had tape on their shoes and they also had mask on their faces so we see the level of preparation they undertook to try to do this crime."
"One Salvadoran, accompanied possibly by Mexicans who may have headed across the border."
Jose Zetina, Commissioner of Police
"When it comes to this sort of high profile crimes, it is something that it being done from outside. For example Salvador."
Edwardo Wade,
"We are sure that the individual who is dead is a Salvadoran national and we believe that his accomplices are definitely not Belizean."
Jose Zetina,
"The criminal elements in this case might have some bearings with the Mexican counterparts so it might be a ring and we are carefully at it as it unfolds."
Edwardo Wade,
"Looking at the location where the vehicles were abandoned, it is presumed that they might have gone across the border because the vehicles were found close to the border but they could still be in Belize."
Mexican authorities have been contacted but Belizeans particularly in the north might be concerned that 4 desperate bandits could be roaming the area.
Jose Zetina,
"We are heightened all the time with our proactive policing all the time."
Pro-active but unable to gather the intelligence that might have suppressed this crime or its actors before it occurred. And while it is brazen, lawless and risked countless lives as it played out at noon in Orange Walk Town, COMPOL Zetina is hardly impressed.
Jose Zetina,
"When you are rating the yesterday, against say for example the Pipersburgh, I would give 8 and I would yesterday a 6 or 7."
"Crime will happen everywhere and I don't they are so brazen. If they were so brazen they would do it where the police are."
Well at least it wasn't discounted as one of those crimes of opportunity. Zetina conceded that it's a serious crime - but one he thinks that police responded to effectively while also sending a message to those criminals who would underestimate the readiness of his department.
Jose Zetina,
"I don't think they would have the belief that they can commit crime and get away with it. With the limited amount of human resources we showed it yesterday. Our response was good."
And while police can proudly banner this body and the recovered cash as an example of their response; they must also confront the fact that they were unable to intercept two getaway vehicles them with road blocks and they know very little of the background and identity of these brazen criminals - indicating that perhaps profiling efforts so concentrated in Belize city - may have been focusing on the wrong area
Anyone with information on Rivas is asked to call 922 help - where information can be shared on a strictly confidential basis.
Police say they are sure that it's not the security guard who shot and killed Rivas because the guards were not armed. As for the prisoner - who was in the back of the police patrol car - he was treated and released without serious injury.