Tonight, a mother of four is keeping a close eye on her kids and her home after three men broke in yesterday afternoon. Sandra Thompson has been remodeling her small business in her yard, and she says the same men who bought from her store in the morning, came back to rob her. She also believes that they've been involved in several other robberies around the city. Courtney Menzies spoke with her today and has this story.
A single mother's sense of safety has been completely shaken after a home invasion yesterday. It was around 2:30 in the afternoon when they snuck into her yard through some bushes and broke in through her back window. She told us she had just finished taking a shower when she saw three male intruders:
Voice of: Sandra Thompson, Home Burglarized
"When I looked up, I just saw three men running into my house. One had on a mask, the first one, a red and black mask, brown skinned, the other second one a full black thing on his face, black long sleeves, and the third one a short person with a blue thing over his face. When I saw them, I didn't know what to do so I just sat there shocked and the first one just had his gun straight in my face but none of them are saying anything to me because they know I know them so nobody is saying anything to me. Even when I jumped up and when I saw them take the purse off the bed and pop off my chain and I started to attack them back, they didn't do me anything until I reached this door here then the one that I know I know, he punched me in my face and I jumped onto this chair and this table and started to stab at them and like he was trying to squeeze the gun at me and I kept screaming and screaming."
Eventually the men escaped through the same bushes, but not before traumatizing this mother of four. And Thompson believes she was targeted because she has been upgrading her small store.
Voice of: Sandra Thompson, Home Burglarized
"I don't know why they're trying to attack me, I am a business woman, I have a registered business. I have a business at the front there that I am trying to make it, a single mother for me and my kids, and right now, I'm scared for my life because I don't know, Belize is getting rough, they just see you trying to make it and make life and they want to try attack you."
"I just did everything brand new in there, over two weeks, I broke it down and built it back because there is a team called BEST that helps us single women so they gave a little $1,400 grant and I ended up spending like $3,000 on it but it's something I want to do for myself and my kids, to be your own boss, and these little young boys are targeting you."
"I had my money saved over 2 years for my babies to take them in for their VISA so they could have an opportunity to travel for holidays. And they took all of that from me. The money right now isn't the thing, it's just my life. But I have my life."
And Thompson says that not long ago, her storeroom was also burglarized. While she doesn't know if it's the same trio, she explained that these burglars have been targeting others in Belize City.
Yesterday morning, a group of tourists were robbed on Princess Margaret Drive by men in this vehicle, and later that day, the same vehicle robbed a student on Seashore Drive.
Now Thompson is warning small business owners to be careful.
Voice of: Sandra Thompson, Home Burglarized
"I just want to put it out there to all the business people who have a little shop or females who are trying to make it, we just have to try keep up our heads and be strong, because there are people out there who are targeting us."
According to the report from the tourists, the men tried to grab one of the women and pull her into the car, but they fought back. They also say that they tried to steal their bag with their documents, but were only able to get away with a cellphone.
Police are looking for the vehicle - and believe the license plate is probably a stolen one.
