Tonight, Belmopan police are investigating the theft of the vehicle belonging to the Office of the Mayor of Belmopan. It was being used by current Mayor Simeon Lopez, and yesterday afternoon he parked it in front of his office at the Belmopan City Hall.
He told us today that when he finished his duties, someone had managed to drive off with the vehicle, even though he had the keys:
Simeon Lopez - Mayor, Belmopan City
"We believe it was stolen, and I have already reported that to the police, so it is in the hands of the police right now, I believe it was stolen."
Mike Rudon - Channel 5 News
"Could you give us the circumstances which lead to the disappearance of this vehicle."
Simeon Lopez - Mayor, Belmopan City
"I don't know, it’s very abnormal because I usually park my vehicle, I arrived at the work site about 1:30 p.m. Yesterday, because I had an appointment with a journalist from the Reporter. So I parked the vehicle where I usually parked it, which would be the administration building of the city hall, I went inside, the journalist was already there so I invited him into my office and we had the interview and the little discussion until almost 2:30 I believe. Then he left and I stayed in my office doing administrative work, then about 4 o clock I said I had to go out to do some business and when I stepped outside, usually from within the office I can see through the glass door and I did not see the tail of the vehicle, so I did not say anything, I just stepped outside and went under the canopy, and vehicle was not there and it was then I realized I had the key. I said it can't be, as long as I know I came to work in this vehicle and I parked it here and it’s nowhere to be found, so I sounded the alarm and we called in the police immediately, then the police arrived around 4:15, took some minor statements at the time then they rushed back, that is the C.I.B. I started asking question around the compound, and that is where we are. We got leads of who got into the vehicle and drove off with it that person is now detained but is no cooperating with the police."
The suspicion at this time is that someone may have gotten their hands on the key for the vehicle and made a duplicate, which was used in the theft. Mayor Lopez is currently using his personal vehicle in the interim.
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