7 News Belize

Not For Profit Gets Preyed On By Thieves
posted (May 25, 2012)
The Humana People to People Store on King Street in Belize City is a not for profit store - its revenues go to help needy children.

But that hasn't stopped criminals from preying on the store this past week.

Over the long weekend, burglars broke in through the back door and stole over 13,000 dollars' worth of clothing merchandise.

The store's profit, made from the sale of that merchandise, is funnelled to the parent organization, Humana, which is an NGO that helps children around the country.

This morning, we spoke to the storekeeper, who asked appear off-camera, and she told us about the discovery of the burglary when they opened on Tuesday morning.

Here's how she explained it:

Voice of: Carminia De La Fuente - Shopkeeper, Humana People to People Store
"We closed Saturday evening around 3:30-4 o'clock in the evening, and we didn't come back until Tuesday because Monday was a holiday, so we came back Tuesday morning. When we came in here in the morning, we found out that the backdoor was broken in, and that some bails were missing, also clothing inside the shop. The backdoor was all in pieces, and we call the police. They came about half-an-hour later for the report."

Daniel Ortiz
"So, tell us about what was stolen."

Voice of: Carminia De La Fuente
"We have wholesale and retail in the shop. The wholesale, we lost 19 bails which came up to a total $10,820 in wholesale. And in the retail, we lost 710 pieces, which came out to $2,670, to a total of $13,490 as our losses. This is the 3rd - the second that it has been broken into, and we had robbery when it was opened. So this was the 3rd time we are having a loss. Humana is an NGO, and we have child-aid in Toledo and Corozal, so whatever profits we make here, it's for those organizations. So whenever we have a loss, they have a loss."

And just 2 hours after we spoke to the storekeeper, 2 armed men ran into the store and robbed her and her assistant just before closing hours for the afternoon.

De la Fuente told us via phone that they were making their preparations when the men rushed in and robbed them at gunpoint of 2 cellular phones, 2,000 dollars' worth of jewelry and $400 in cash.

As a result, the store was closed for the day after the police responded and took the reports.

With this recent robbery, the establishment has been targeted by thieves for the 4th time now.

Home | Archives | Downloads/Podcasts | Advertise | Contact Us

7 News Belize