7 News Belize

Older Man Roughed Up In Crooked Tree Home Invasion
posted (March 22, 2012)
Regrettably, we've grown too accustomed to hearing about home invasions in Belize City - and other densely populated municipalities. But our next story is about an invasion that happened in the small village of Crooked Tree.

The armed robbers preyed upon an old man - who had just come up - from selling a few heads of cattle. Monica Bodden went to Crooked Tree today to find out how they roughed up and robbed the senior citizen:...

Monica Bodden reporting
The home invasion happened here at the residence of 72 year old Wilbert Tillett -a retired Belizean American living in Crooked Tree.

He was assaulted with a gun and a knife inside his home by 2 men who he considers to be strangers to the Village.

It happened on Tuesday at around 8:30 in the evening.

Tillett who was home alone at the time of the incident told us he first saw the men pass his house when he was sitting outside on his verandah. By the time he got up and went inside, in a spilt second, a gun was pointed at his head.

Wilbert Tillett - Businessman
"I was sitting right here in this chair and some of the other guys were over there, but before that I saw two guys pass by, strangers, I didn't think anything about it. So about 8:30 the guys that were standing over the street moved off and so got up out this chair and open this door and went inside to sit to watch TV. When I sat down I heard the door open. I thought it was my grandson. When I look around I saw the same two strangers; one with a red cap."

Marion Ali, LOVE News
"It was the same two that pass by earlier?"

Wilbert Tillett - Businessman
"Yes, the same two."

The two made entry through Tillett's front door that was left unlocked. While inside the house, the duo demanded that Tillett handed over his money and guns. They then proceeded to tie up both his hands and feet with his shoe lace and then ransack his entire house.

Wilbert Tillett - Businessman
"As I turn around there was a knife at my throat and gun at my head. They say to give them the money and my gun. They tied up my hands and my feet and they put me in the room where I had the money and they took about $9,000 - $10,000."

"They ransack the place and in the ceiling they were looking for gun. Afterwards they pushed me in the bathroom and told me to stay there until they are gone."

The robbers took approximately 10 minutes inside the elderly man's house - but in that short time they managed to get away with ten thousand dollars - Money that Tillett had just earned from a day's sale of selling heads of cattle in Shipyard.

Wilbert Tillett - Businessman
"They went like with $2,000 - $3,000 US dollars and the rest from the sale of cattle in the day in Shipyard, but I got back home too late and so I couldn't take the money to the bank, plus money I had from my store."

This pair of beat up old slippers parked on the side of Tillett's house is all that is left of the robbers. It's not much evidence, but from the angle of how and where they are placed it tells us the men may have snuck from behind the yard and waylaid Tillett by hiding along the side of his house.

And while having a perfect view from this angle of where he was sitting - when he got up out his chair and went inside -was the perfect opportunity for them to follow.

Wilbert Tillett - Businessman
"We called the police in Ladyville and they came. The thieves took my cell phone and everything and they ask laptop computer, but I didn't have any or anything like that."

"They took my tennis lace and electrical wire. They tied and gag me, but I manage to get loose and I alert the neighbors and they came over."

Marion Ali, LOVE News
"How long was it before you were able to free yourself?"

Wilbert Tillett - Businessman
"About 10-15 minutes."

Marion Ali, LOVE News
"What happen thereafter?"

Wilbert Tillett - Businessman
"I ran and yelled for the neighbors. They came over and called the police."

Marion Ali, LOVE News
"Nobody had seen anybody fleeing the area?"

Wilbert Tillett - Businessman
"Nobody has seen anything. We assume they jump the fence to the back and waited until I got up and rush me."

So far Tillett told us he is not making any headway with the police and this isn't the first time he has been taken advantage of by robbers. His store, located just across the street from his residence had also been robbed a number of times. As you may recall, there was a police substation in Crooked Tree village - but with time it was left abandoned and became dilapidated -eventually it was burnt down. This has left the entire village concerned about their upsurge in crime.

Wilbert Tillett - Businessman
"We haven't heard anything from the police that came here that night. This is not the first time that I've been robbed. I was robbed about 4 times in my shop. We haven't heard anything from the police."

"I am thinking seriously about going back to the United States because we don't get any help from the police. It's a total disaster when it comes to the police here. I am very serious about that."

Late this evening Tillett received a call saying that one of the robbers may have turned himself in to Belize City police. We were unable to confirm if there was any truth to that. Tillett and his family believe the robbers are from the Cayo district.

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