Friday, March 29, 2024

Two stores robbed in 2 days

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Two stores in San Pedro Town were robbed in separate incidents less than 36 hours apart. However, police has managed to detain two people for one of the robberies. The first incident occurred on Tuesday, November 16th at the Despensa Del Hogar Store in the DFC Area and the other at Wings Store on Wednesday, November 17th on Coconut Drive.

According to San Pedro Police, a Belizean businesswoman of a Mosquito Coast Area address of San Pedro Town reported that she was robbed while at her store. Initial investigation reveals that sometime around 2 pm on Tuesday November 16th, the businesswoman was at her store in the DFC Area when she was attacked by two male persons. One of the attackers jumped behind the counter and helped himself to cash and phone cards, after which they both made good their escape.

The businesswoman reported that five $20 digicell cards, ten $10 digicell cards and ten $5 digicell cards were stolen. In addition, ten $10 Smart cards, ten $5 Smart cards, five $20 Smart cards and $250 in different denominations, all to a total value of $750 were missing. No one has been detained and police continue their investigation into that incident. And while police were concentrating and investigating the first robbery, they were alerted to yet another robbery; this time it was at the building housing Wings Store on Coconut Drive.

According to police, sometime around 8:05pm on Wednesday, November 17th, the Manager of Wings Store, 39 year old Pakarshi Wadhwa, reported that he was attacked, robbed and injured by two men of dark complexion. Wadhwa told police that he was heading to his apartment located on the third floor of the building when he was attacked. Initial police investigation reveals that Wadhwa had just closed the store, located on the ground floor and was entering his apartment when he was ambushed inside his apartment. While in his apartment, the men took away his gold chain and his cellular phone and also his wife’s cellular phone and a gold anklet. The men then proceeded to escort him to the ground floor, which houses the store where they stole an undisclosed amount of money. One of the two culprits then took a hammer and hit him twice in the head injuring the shaken Wadhwa, after which they made good their escape.

It is uncertain how the men gained access to the upper flat of the building and how much money in cash was stolen. According to police after the surveillance cameras on the building were reviewed, they noticed that the cameras captured images of part of the incident. Hence with the help of the images captured by surveillance cameras, police were able to apprehend the individuals that fit the images caught on the surveillance cameras.

Eyewitnesses told The Sun that they were alerted by screaming coming out from the upper flat of the building. When they came out to see, they realized that someone had robbed Wadhwa and that he was also hurt. Wadhwa was rushed to a private clinic on the island after which he was later airlifted to Belize City for further medical attention. As a result of the incident, that same night police arrested two Belizean men. Since then police have charged 33 year old Oliver Peters of a Belize City address and 31 years Edward Barona of DFC Area. Both men have been charged for the crime of Burglary and Oliver Peters was additionally charged for the crime of Wounding. Both men have been arraigned at the San Pedro Magistrate Court and have been remanded to the Hattieville Prison until their next court appearance.

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