22-year-old Rodney Cardinez and 18-year-old Edwin Staine live in Belize City but police say this weekend they drove north to Orange Walk to pull off two robberies.
The first alleged hit was Friday night inside Dirud Rosado's Store on the Belize-Corozal Road. It is alleged that both men entered the store and one of them pulled out a gun which they pointed in Rosado's face. They demanded money and they took about 365 dollars in cash and escaped.
Police believe that Cardinez and Staine are also responsible for a robbery at Aldo Cambranes' Store in Orange Walk Town on Saturday. Cambranes told police that around nine on Saturday night, a male entered his store and asked for two cigarettes. Cambranes says he was getting the cigarettes when the man pulled out a handgun and demanded money. Cambranes fought back by knocking away the gun and that is when the robber jumped across the counter and went straight for the cash register. He ran with $29 but Cambranes was in pursuit. That is when the gunman fired a single shot in the air. He then jumped into in a car that was waiting and the vehicle sped off.
Police later caught up to Rodney Cardinez and Edwin Staine who have both been charged with two counts each of robbery.
