The Brodies Superstore on the Northern Highway is the city’s largest supermarket and slightly removed from the clutter and combustion of the city, it was also thought to be one of the safest. But last night that changed when two people were robbed and then abducted at gunpoint from the store’s parking lot. The victims are a doctor and her mother- who are originally from Nicaragua. 35 year old Silvia Parrales says they came here 5 years ago thinking Belize was safe.
Dr. Silivia Parrales, Robbery Victim
“I feel angry, I feel sad because of what I say to my friends in my country; Belize is a safe country, nothing happens, and now this happened to me.”
And what happened to Silvia Parrales is that at 8:45 last night she and her mother were jacked in the parking lot as they were leaving the Brodies Superstore on the Northern Highway.
Dr. Silivia Parrales,
“A man with a gun told me that he wanted the money and he put the gun on the head of my mom and he told me if I don’t give him the money, he will shoot my mom. And so he told me to take money from the ATM and so I went to the Brodies again and I took out the money. At the same time I saw a patient and I told her what was happening with my mom. Then I went out of the supermarket and when I came out, the man was driving my car and he left us on the Sandhill Road.”
Keith Swift,
So after he met you at the door, you went back to the ATM to get the money, and you left him with your mom?
Dr. Silivia Parrales,
“Yes because he told me if I didn’t go, he would shoot her. So I couldn’t do nothing. I didn’t do anything because I was sure
he would use the gun. It was a real gun, it wasn’t a toy.”
The parking lot here at Brodies is huge, it can hold up to 100 cars. But Parrales says last night she wasn’t parked in a dark corner. She says she parked her Geo Tracker just a few feet from the store’s entrance.
Dr. Silivia Parrales,
“I was very close. I was in the second position, when you come out from the supermarket. I was in the second position and I screamed and nobody heard me. The security, I didn’t see any security around. There were around 12 cars in the parking lot.”
Keith Swift,
Do you normally shop at Brodies?
Dr. Silivia Parrales,
“Yes but not anymore. It is not a safe place. I feel frustrated because it is not fair to be in this position because I thought this was a safe country but they can’t destroy the peace in this country only because they want money. They can’t do this, it is a small country.
I just want to continue to believe in Belize. I like this country but they can’t do that to this country.”
The gunman ran off with a total of $500 cash. As Parrales mentioned he wanted to go to Orange Walk but when she told him she didn’t have enough gas, he jumped on a Ready Call bus that was heading north. She says he held the gun to her while driving. And on their way to Sandhill, Parrales says they passed the police checkpoint at the Burrell Boom Junction but no officer was posted there.
So what does Brodies have to say? Well a company representative says the parking lot is adequately secured. They say the entire area is monitored by surveillance cameras. And along with the cameras, they have foot and yard patrols. The store says it has reviewed the tape from last night and it surprisingly didn’t capture anything. They do however plan to increase security.
