With four more days to go before Christmas, those who can afford to shop this year have been busily doing their last minute purchases. It is also a very busy time for robberies and as December twenty fifth draws nearer the number of armed hold-ups have increased.
Around six twenty on Saturday evening, a boledo vendor of Santa Elena was held up and robbed of his earnings as he worked in Georgeville Village. The boledo vendor reported to police that while he was selling lottery he was accosted by two persons. The individuals were dressed in black and concealed their faces with rags. Both had firearms which they used to rob him of a grey and black knapsack. The bag contained five lottery books and cash. The assailants then ran off.
Quick police work may not have resulted in an arrest but authorities now have in their possession two black masks, one homemade weapon, one sixteen gauge cartridge and the grey knapsack containing an assortment of tools, five lottery books and assortment of personal documents. All have been identified as the property of the boledo vendor.
One hour later Belmopan was dealing with an even more disturbing case. Around nine thirty on Saturday night a boyfriend and his girlfriend were sitting on a bleacher inside the Isidora Beaton Stadium when they were approached by two men. According to the boyfriend he was able to recognize both men known only to him as Pollo and Rey. But Pollo and Rey were not there to socialize with the couple, armed with a machete they demanded money which the boyfriend handed over in an undetermined amount of cash.
But instead of leaving after robbing the couple, the men then grabbed the girlfriend, dragged her into a nearby bathroom where both robbers raped the young woman. Again quick police response led them to detain one of their suspects, nineteen year old Carlos Montejo aka Pollo. They are looking for his accomplice identified as Reynal Solomon Portillo aka Rey.
Up north, Corozal police are on the lookout for the man who shot their victim during a hold up and robbery in that town. Police reports are that the money changer had just arrived home in his gold Nissan Pathfinder but as he got out of the vehicle, he was approach by four men with masks over their faces and without any warning one of the men shot him. The victim suffered gun shot wounds to his left shoulder and lower back.
After the victim was shot the men then grabbed from around his waist, a bag that contained an undetermined amount of money in different denominations. Corozal police have since detained one person.
