Christmas may mean caring and sharing for most of us, but for criminals it means robbing and jacking. Proof of that came yesterday in Corozal town when two businesses were targeted by daring armed robbers.
A pair of armed and unmasked robbers targeted MIR's Jewelry Shop in the near the town's center around 6:00 yesterday evening.
Reports say the storeowner was preparing to close up, when two men strode up and smashed the glass showcase with a crowbar - to get at the jewelry inside. One of them then pulled out a gun and ordered the storeowner to hand over his money.
But he didn't hand over anything and protected the jewelry in the show-window. He did it so effectively that the un-masked robbers were forced to beat a hasty retreat.
Surveillance video in the area shows the pair casually walking towards the jewelry store seconds before the robbery. Police haven't made any arrests.
That was yesterday, and this morning there was another armed robbery of a well-known business. This time it happened at a newly opened Chinese-owned supermarket and gas station called "One Mall".
Six unmasked armed robbers arrived there separately: one group was walking while another set arrived in a taxi cab.
From there, they changed things up like a Hollywood script. They held the store's wash-man hostage at gun-point, and threatened to kill him if the proprietors didn't hand over their money. The car-washer told CTV-3 how it unfolded:
Randy Montero, Car Washer
"They just point the gun into my back and told me to just walk straight inside. So I went inside and they put me to sit down and they told me don't move aside my boss lady."
Reporter
"Were these guys wearing masks?"
Randy Montero, Car Washer
"No kind of mask. Only a hood and sunglasses. Only that."
Reporter
"How many of them did you see?"
Randy Montero, Car Washer
"6 young men and none of them were wearing masks."
Reporter
"Did you get to see if actually a firearm that they were holding?"
Randy Montero, Car Washer
"Yes, all of them had."
Reporter
"What happened after that?"
Randy Montero, Car Washer
"They took all the money from the cash register and they went to the back."
Reporter
"Were you able to see how they got here?"
Randy Montero, Car Washer
"I saw a taxi reach and I saw some of them jumped out and some came walking."
Reporter
"How did they leave?"
Randy Montero, Car Washer
"In the red vehicle that I was washing. My boss vehicle. They stole the keys and took the vehicle with them."
Reporter
"What direction did they leave?"
Randy Montero, Car Washer
"In the direction of Belize City."
Reporter
"From the way they operated, can you say if these guys are local or outsiders?"
Randy Montero, Car Washer
"They are outside people and not from here. I don't see any of them around here."
They sped off towards Orange Walk in the stolen vehicle. Police are reviewing ample security video of the robbery. The men only wore caps and sunglasses.
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