Armed robbers hit the popular Old Belize Restaurant and Bar last night
and the entire incident was caught on camera. Four men descended on the Old
Belize compound at mile 5 on the Western Highway around 2 am where they bound
and gagged the security guard and smashed an ATM machine. But, after all that,
Keith Swift found out that they also left empty handed.
Keith Swift Reporting,
This surveillance video from 2:41 this morning shows one of the robbers fumbling
behind the bar at Old Belize, apparently foolishly attempting to swipe a credit
card. He is one of the four men who went to rob Old Belize around 2:30 this
morning. They entered by foot – more than likely after trudging through
this swamp. Their first target one of the two on duty security guards. Francis
Woods got the call at 2:30.
Francis Woods, Managing Director – Old Belize
“Around 2:30 the watchman, the security down where I live woke me 
up and told me that they were having some trouble down here, there are suspicions
of somebody trying to rob the place and we came down here with about two or
three security guards and we found our watchman tied up. He was tied up, he
was gagged, he couldn’t talk and he was blindfolded and his hands were
tied behind his back and his feet tied. But fortunately he was alive and he
only had some bruises from being put on the ground.”
And with the security guard tied up – the robbers hit the Atlantic bank
ATM machine. Using these antique carpentry tools, which they stole from a display
in the bathroom, the thieves mauled it, smashing the front but despite all that
hard work – they got nothing.
Francis Woods,
“They used whatever they could find and they used some of our antique
stuff to try to break open the doors and whatever they could find that was metal
they used it. They obviously weren’t too professional. They pretty much
totalled it. I know for sure they didn’t get any cash out of it and Old
Belize didn’t lose anything as well. The one thing that we did lose was
the security’s firearm and his radio and his cell phone.”
The security guard says there were four men and this network of 16 cameras 
captured 2 hours of footage. Old Belize’s managing director Francis Woods
doesn’t believe there was an inside job.
Francis Woods,
“We have definitely two identified on camera, so we know for sure
of two. The watchman thinks it is about four but it was dark and he was immediately
put on the ground and blindfolded and tied up.”
Keith Swift,
You have any idea who might have done this, who these people are?
Francis Woods,
“No idea, no idea. It is just somebody I guess desperate for cash
but they obviously didn’t know that we don’t keep cash on hand,
maybe the way some places do. We do daily deposits and that type of stuff so
they really didn’t know how the cash flows around here.”
Keith Swift,
Do you think someone who works here might have been involved?
Francis Woods,
“I really doubt it. We have a lot of good people and from the pattern
of what they use, it doesn’t look so.”
And because of last night’s robbery attempt – there will be new
rules at Old Belize.
Francis Woods,
“Definitely we will beef up some areas and stuff like that but we
have a pretty good camera system here already and we have a fairly good circuit
of watchman and security guards. We’re probably put an additional one
so we’ll have a total of three security guards walking the whole marina
compound and the restaurant.”
Police have the surveillance video and told us this evening that they
are investigating. As mentioned in the story there may be a disparity in the
number of assailants since the security guard said there were four but the surveillance
camera only picked up one. Also he described them to police as four dark skinned
males but the man on the tape appears to be light skinned. The men did leave
with the security guard’s shotgun. Old Belize has been opened for four
years and this is its first robbery. Francis Woods stressed that he was impressed
with the police’s quick response. They received the call from the security
company who visited the scene after the watchman failed to answer his radio.
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