Belize City was the scene of a daring bank robbery this morning. At around 9:30 employees of provident bank located on barrack road were held up by at least two men armed with firearms. Shortly after, they made their escape only to have a high speed chase ending with at least one of the men being detained. 7NEWS has been on the story minutes after the holdup.
Alfonso Noble Reporting,
At around 9:30 this morning employees of Provident Bank on Barrack Road returned to their offices and were at the parking lot with an undisclosed sum of money when two armed men armed accosted them.
ASP Chester Williams, Commander CIB
"The persons at the bank went to pick up some cash from the Alliance Bank and upon returning to the Provident Bank on Barrack Road, upon the two persons exiting the vehicle with the money they were held-up by two armed male persons who robbed them of the money they were carrying."
The robbers are believed to have sped down Hyde's Lane in this white vehicle. By the time, it arrived at the intersection with New Road it was intercepted by a police vehicle with which it collided.
ASP Chester Williams,
"The police received information about the vehicle that was being used by the perpetrators of this crime and they responded, saw the vehicle, and were in pursuit of the vehicle. However due to interruption from another vehicle, the police were unable to catch up with the vehicles with the occupants inside. However, the occupants later abandoned the vehicle on Victoria Street where the police found the vehicle. However, at the interception of the vehicle, the suspects had already fled the vehicle. At this time we have a couple suspects in custody, we are interviewing them at this time."
And while police already have a suspect, that suspect's mother Glenda Coleman today visited us complaining that she witnessed the police brutalizing her son.
Glenda Coleman, Mother of Accused
"I heard someone was crying and they sounded like a baby, you know for the age of Leon, and when I saw, you know luckily like how I went in, I find that they were bringing out Leon like a sack or a dead animal. When I saw that I said wait a minute, that's my son and they said 'man you need to get out.' I said no that is my son and I asked my son what was wrong and he said these people will kill me behind here. I found that he was properly bust and all bruise up and he could barely walk so they put me out and I start crying out you know."
"I don't believe they should interrogate nobody like that. He didn't kill nobody and still if they do kill somebody, I don't think the policeman have no right to beat them like that. You know it is the judge that finds you guilty, it's the policeman, they are only doing a job and no mother would want to see what I see so I'll never forget the nightmare that I saw because from Leon born I never beat him like that before and it really hurt me, I haven't forgotten what I saw."
"I don't think so, I don't think so. I am not the type of person to paint anybody bad or black. I believe if you didn't see that person do that thing, I don't believe you should paint or pin that or label him. He is only a suspect and I am not going to label my son and said that he did that bank robbery."
At this moment police cannot say whether the robbers had any assistance or information from within the bank but they are also investigating that possibility.