Armed holdups have been on a sharp increase over the past few months and it seems that criminals are aren't only hitting on high profile, big money targets, they're also preying on smaller businesses right down to the Belizean-owned corner store. But an armed robber met his match last night at around 9 last night when he stormed into Modesto Madrill's Store on Magazine Road. As Keith Swift found out, the thief's gun was no much for Madrill's machete.
Modesto Madrill, Fought Off Gunman
“I never think this would have happened to me and that is why I don’t even think of carry a weapon because so many of the fellows know me, show respect for me, and I never thought one would come that way with a gun.”
Modesto Madrill operates one of the few remaining Belizean owned neighborhood grocery shops in the city. His store on Magazine Road has been opened for the last 20 years and he has even bottled a trademark “Moddy Spoddy” beverage. But last night, for the first time in those two decades that Moddy’s has been opened, Madrill came face to face with an armed robber.
Modesto Madrill,
“I saw a fellow came so and I thought he wanted to buy but when I got into the shop, I saw the bike still on the street side so I figured he will come back because I sell wine, they call it Muddy Spuddy. So when I came to the back and I reached the door I met the person with the gun about two feet from my face.”
With the assailant’s 380 pistol in his face, Madrill stared back at him with his 24 inch machete.
Modesto Madrill,
“I watched the machete when he told me to let’s go inside and to give him the money. I told him I don’t have any money and I pushed my hand towards the machete. As I did that my granddaughter appeared and asked him what he is doing here which made him spun around. As he did that, I grabbed the machete and fired a chop at him. That is the way he got chopped and from there he run gone. At the same time he fired off a shot and see the bullet hole there, it came through this wall and went through the door. By the time I chopped at him he just took off.”
The injured assailant hightailed it out of the store and escaped empty handed.
The only casualty was Bishop O.P. Martin, not the real Bishop but a photographic likeness, which got plugged straight through the eye. And it would have been eye for an eye for this fearless shopkeeper too; he says he didn’t think twice about fighting off a gunman almost barehanded.
Modesto Madrill,
“I work for my money and I always say if anybody come rob me they will have to kill me or beat me to get what I got because we will have a fight or something; I am not going to give up what I got just like that.
When he came I didn’t even notice his face because once he pointed the gun at me the first thing in my mind was machete.
I already know what is there thinking because some of them come here come offer to sell gun to me but I told them I don’t want it. And they say what if somebody comes and rob you, I tell that if they come and rob me they will either have to kill me or beat me to get what I got because I won’t give it over easy. But as I said, if they come again, it is the same reaction I will have: I will not give up.”
A lesson learned the hard way by the thief who tried to rob Moddy’s money.
The robber is believed to be injured and police suspect that he will eventually be forced to seek treatment at a hospital.
