It’s a quiet community and at 10:30 on a Friday night, not much is happening in Spanish Lookout. But when business man martin wall got to his home he was ambushed by armed masked men who had already tied up his 12 year old son. It’s the kind of terror that doesn’t usually visit remote communities like Spanish Lookout. We visited today to find residents profoundly shaken and the victims, terrorized.
Keith Swift Reporting,
The bandage is what’s keeping Martin Wall’s left index finger attached. His finger was almost completely cut off- by desperate robbers who invaded the quiet of Spanish Lookout on Friday night. Martin Wall’s ordeal began around 10:30 on Friday night. That is when he returned home and found gunmen in his house who were holding his 12 year old son captive. His 12 year old son is Michael Wall.
Michael Wall, Tied Up By Robbers
“They came up and they started taking things. They forced me to look
around for stuff and then after a while they said that I was messing around and then one of them kicked me in the belly and the other one hit me in the head with a gun and then we went down and waited until my dad and brother came.”
Martin Wall, Robbery Victim
“When I came home I saw the car in the yard and I asked my older son who was walking out what was going on. And as he was approaching I noticed somebody behind him with a mask on his face and also a gun was coming up to me and at the same time there were two guys with me. They then took me up into the house and they requested some money. I said I didn’t have any in the house and they took me to the office and they took what we had there which was a small amount and they wanted more and they asked me where are the hundreds stashed. I told him that is all we have.”
The men ransacked Wall’s home - and then took him over to the office - for country meats – which is a couple hundred feet from his home. They ransacked in there too but they wanted more money and they began to torture Martin Wall to get it.
Martin Wall,
“They were trying their guns and they didn’t fire, they didn’t work. Then one went into the next room and he got a knife and a big fork and he then came back and said he would start cutting my fingers until I give him money. I told him we don’t have no more again and again, that is all I
have. I asked what more could we give you and why would I risk my life for money.
He then told me to put my finger on the table and I placed it there but then when I saw what they were going to do I moved it. But then they grabbed my hand and put it on the table and they chopped my finger. Then I pulled it back again and at that time he cut me on the neck. That made me very dizzy and then I told them to please let me live and I told them let’s go back to the house. I told them I didn’t have any money but you can take what you want, you can take my car – just leave us alone. So we went back to the house and they searched the house again and couldn’t find what they wanted and they tied us all up. They turned off the lights and they went outside.”
Keith Swift,
Your sons were telling me that before leaving they told you something.
Martin Wall,
“They said goodbye, take care, this never happened, and he said, ‘we love you.’”
The bandits left wall and his sons tied up. They eventually managed to free themselves. Wall who lives alone in this fairly remote area with his two sons is still shocked and shaken.
Martin Wall,
“I was frightened, I was shaken. I was thinking it would be the end of us. I didn’t feel extremely nervous at that point. I guess being in shock you don’t really realize what’s going on. After they tied us up was probably the most scariest moment because there was nothing more we could do. They could have killed us and we couldn’t move.”
Keith Swift,
Has life returned to normal since?
Martin Wall,
“It won’t be the same again. As of right now I am nervous once it comes to after 5 o’clock and I don’t know how long it will take to get back to normal routine.”
Mark Wall, Tied up By Robbers (10 years old)
“Now I don’t feel so scared anymore, I am ready to kick them the next time they come.”
Keith Swift,
Is this something you ever prepared yourself for?
Martin Wall,
“Not at all. I actually considered Belize over the last year a very peaceful country and although I heard crime and violence like in San Ignacio area over the past few weeks, I didn’t expect it to happen over here.”
But it did and Allan Reimer, the Vice Chairman on the Board of Representatives
for Spanish Lookout says Friday night’s awful robbery in this quiet community is a sign of the times.
Allan Reimer, Vice-Chairman – Spanish Lookout
“We take it seriously. We try to keep our cash not in the businesses, that is one thing we very strongly recommend; never to keep cash in the business. We tell our people to be alert but we don’t think that this is a time to panic. Crime happens worldwide and Spanish Lookout isn’t immune to it either.
It shows to me what level crime has taken in this country. Crime gets more brutal everyday and again Spanish Lookout is not spared by it. Basically what we can do is hope it doesn’t get worse and believe and trust that a loving God is going to protect us.”
But that might not be enough for this single father who moved back to Belize 2 years ago – and who almost lost his finger and his life.
Keith Swift,
You just moved to Belize two years ago from Canada, will you stay?
Martin Wall,
“As of yet we will stay here. This has damaged by courage for being in Belize but I haven’t given up yet but it could result in moving back to Canada.”
Reporting for 7NEWS from Spanish Lookout, Keith Swift.
Reimer says he believes the offenders are not from Spanish Lookout. A reward is being offered for information leading to the arrest of the perpetrators.
