A trio of alleged thieves got a heaping serving of village justice very early this morning. It happened when they tried to steal the floodlights from the football field at Lucky Strike village on the old Northern Highway. Within hours, the villagers had locked off all exits, strung them up and tied them up hand and foot to a post.
The field has nine lights, and villagers - who are proud of their football prowess - guard every one of them jealously - and so that's why when they heard that someone was on the lamppost stealing them last night - they fanned out into a team of rifle toting vigilantes - determined to protect their community's property and make an example of those who would try and take advantage of them.
Here's what we found when we got there around 7:00 this morning:…
Jules Vasquez Reporting
When we got to the Lucky Strike Community Center, villagers had their firearms at the ready - hunting rifles converted for defence of village property.
It was a community effort - these villagers had been up all night in the rain - hunting thieves. They got up when they heard someone was stealing the lights for their football field:
Andrew Chacon, Chairman, Lucky Strike
"About 12:45 this morning I receive a call from a concern resident in the village that there were some guys taking down the spotlight off the football field and the other villagers alerted some elders in the village and we came out and intercept and to see what was taking place. When we reach out here the villagers who have license firearms fired three warning shots. The thieves ran leaving their vehicle; they had one spotlight in the vehicle already. They leave their passport, drivers license, the key in the ignition and everything in the vehicle."
We found that vehicle here at the Ladyville police station - the $1,500.00 light they had stolen was inside the police station.
Back at Lucky Strike villagers found the equipment for climbing a post and stealing a light: the Strap belt, pipe wrench, spanner and spurs to lower it.
This post had two lights - the thieves left only one there:
Andrew Chacon, Chairman, Lucky Strike
"The villagers were out from early this morning."
Hon. Edmund Castro, Area representative
"I think all the props and credit must go to the villagers of Lucky Strike and Rockstone Pond which is a football community that came out in record numbers from after 12 midnight last night to about 5:30 this morning to make sure and ensure that they not only capture the driver of the pickup with the light in the pick-up but also captured the other two guys that they actually saw stealing the lights from off the posts."
Those two men tied up and placed under citizen's arrest are Charlesworth Bowen and Brian Davis known as Tosh. Davis is Bowen's stepfather, but he claims he just caught a ride
Jules Vasquez
"At what point were you here at this area?"
Brian Davis
"No not at this area."
Jules Vasquez
"Not at this area. So where were you caught?"
Brian Davis
"They didn't catch me anywhere. I was going to see David to tell him what had happen with the gunshots. I heard a lot of gunshots then I ran."
Resident
"He came from Rockstone Pond to see my husband. It looks like he could not stop running when he went pass my house. About 5 minutes after he came back and says that he found my husband after they had already hold him and brought him to the bus shed."
Resident
"This man help his father put up the lights here and still he came here to take down the lights."
Brian Davis
"You are accusing me wrongfully."
Resident
"But then what were you doing with the crowd "tash"?"
Brian Davis
"I was never with th crowd. I got a ride from Sandhill."
Resident
"You tell me that when they were taking down the lights you were standing against the basketball court. When the shot was fired you ran through another man yard and got hook up in barb wire."
Brian Davis
"I stop talking."
Resident
"I am surprise at you."
And after those frontal assaults and generally making poppy show of the two of them by the angry women of the village - they had no apologies:
Andrew Chacon, Chairman, Lucky Strike
"Now how can you be kind to someone who want to come into your community and destroy the community when you are striving to make a difference within the community within the life of the young people and others living here."
Reporter
"So this is village justice?"
Andrew Chacon, Chairman, Lucky Strike
"Of course I think they deserve worse."
After hours of village if not vigilante justice. The pair were also cautioned by Villager and former Inspector of Police and Justice of the Peace Galvez
Maskall police came for the pair - climbing boots still on, tools thrown in as evidence and rope still attached to now trembling hands after a few hours in the wet air. Trembling not in fear - but from a bone rattling cold becoming a little defiant - as the police had basically saved them from an angry and armed mob of villagers.
Hon. Edmund Castro, Area representative
"I know these guys will never come back again and steal from the people of Lucky Strike or Rockstone Pond or the old road."
Castro is also vindicated
Hon. Edmund Castro, Area representative
"I think its redemption time and I think everybody should see that "Clear the land" did not go around putting up lights in the communities in the Belize Rural North area and then turn around and steal the lights."
And while the area rep gets a reprieve from censure and suspicion, the villagers most importantly get to play the beautiful game they love so much:
Andrew Chacon, Chairman, Lucky Strike
"Everybody knows that Lucky Strike is a football community it's a sport from generation to generation that we carry on within this community. from the older head that was out this morning up to the younger generation that still comes out to this field and play football on a daily basis."
The third man - who you did not see - was the first to be strung up by the villagers and reportedly confessed to have been hired to be the driver. His name is Atanascio Minor Soler and he is also detained.
7news has confirmed that all three men are being investigated in connection with two other burglaries in the area, one at the school in Lemonal the other in Scotland Half Moon. In both cases, witnesses mention a truck similar to the gold four door one used in last night's case of theft. v It is of significant note that prior to this football field floodlights had been stolen in Scotland Half Moon and St. Paul's Bank. In both cases, the lights were stolen within days of being installed. In all this, there are a pair of glaring ironies that we must note: As you may have heard in the story, according to villagers, Charlesworth Bowen helped his father install the lights. And, Brian "Tosh" Davis was a star player for Lucky Strike in his younger days.
