And on Friday evening, a delivery truck was robbed and its driver shot in the Belize District. Police intervened swiftly, but even though they caught the vehicle used in the robbery - which had been stolen - they weren't able to catch the culprits. ACP Hilberto Romero told us more.
ACP Hilberto Romero, Regional Commander, Eastern Division
"On Friday 18 August, 2023, police responded to a robbery shooting on the [George Price] Highway. Upon their arrival on the scene, Ellis Arkliss had received gunshot injuries. Information is that he was driving a Grace Kennedy truck along with two other male persons who were in the truck when a male person came on the road and fired shots in his direction. He received gunshot injuries and thereafter the truck came to the side of the road. Police responded and intercepted the car used in the robbery on the John Smith Road. Three male persons exited the car and made good their escape. Arkliss is at the Belize Medical Associates in a stable condition at this time, investigation into this matter continues."
Reporter
"Have police been able to establish who was the owner of that vehicle?"
ACP Hilberto Romero
"Yes, we've established who is the owner of that vehicle. The vehicle had been reported stolen a week prior."
Jules Vasquez
"Regarding that how did police let the allege culprits escape? You got them on the road, they ran in the bush. How can they escape?"
ACP Hilberto Romero
"They spotted the police vehicle at a far distance and they turned around their car, so by the time when the police arrived there, they had already run into the bushes. They were not close when they spotted the police car coming."
Jules Vasquez
"But sir, I mean there is only one way in and one way out of the bush. I'm just saying, its not the Chiquibul forest they went into, it's a thin stretch of bush."
ACP Hilberto Romero
"That's a large pine ridge area and closer to the river its dense jungle and swamp, so its not an open savannah area. It has a lot of bushes and swamps."
