An unsuspecting 24 year old Barber was duped out of his newly acquired 2005 Chevrolet Equinox SUV, on Monday of this week, after a CON ARTIST took his vehicle for a test drive, and never returned. Andre Alvarado a resident of Sand Hill village had barely taken ownership of the SUV, that his brother had driven down from the USA, when he was approached by a man expressing interest in purchasing it. The SMOOTH TALKER who is described as a Hispanic male claimed he was a government worker who had business in the Corozal Free Zone and, presented documents Alvarado says carried what appeared to be official GOB stamps. Alvarado told Jim McFadzean he let his guard down, and now the police are already expressing doubt as to whether the vehicle is still in the country.
Andre Alvarado - Vehicle Stolen By Con Artist
"Well I just met him and he told us that he is a business consultant - he works for the Government. He showed my little brother some ID cards. He left my brother with a paper stating that he owns businesses in Chetumal. He is a part of business at the Freezone - different places. And he left my brother with documents and with Government Stamps and everything."
Jim McFadzean
"You don't know what type of Government Papers he had in his possession? Did you get a chance to look at the paper at all?"
Andre Alvarado
"The papers, I looked at the papers, and the papers stated that he has businesses in Freezone, and different area. I ended up given my little brother the papers to hold on to, and the papers that he had - well it had the Government Stamp, and I check the seal. He also had a whole different set of document with a big Atlantic Bank Checkbook."
Jim McFadzean
"So he had an Atlantic Bank Checkbook. You didn't get his name, off any of those records?"
Andre Alvarado
"The only name - I never did get his name off any of the records. The only name he went by was Martin. He called me the Saturday, and told me that the transaction went through. The Monday morning came, he called us, and asked that we pick him up behind Mahogany Street, by JP, where he was supposedly trying to get some documents signed. And he told us that he had to go to Atlantic Bank, but first, he told us that he needed a paper stating that we will bring the grill and other things for the vehicle, and he needed to JP to sign it. So he went to the bank, and told us that the documents will take a little bit longer until the afternoon. So I left my little brother with him, and I told my brother not to leave him with the vehicle, because are not really familiar with him. I called my brother later in the afternoon. My brother told me that he told him that he was going to find the JP. He left a wife and kid with my brother at the bank. He said that he was going to JP to get the documents sign. He disappeared. My little brother called him and tried to get through to him but couldn't. I called him and tried to get through to him, and I couldn't get him. The person is about 5 feet 6 inches. I'd say that he had Spanish hairs. I would say that the guy was in his 30's. And his wife, she was this short Spanish girl; she looked young."
The SUV is valued at Twenty Thousand dollars, and is said to have been last spotted heading west on the Western Highway. Vehicle fraud is one of the pressing regional issues confronting Law Enforcement on both sides of the border, where there is growing illicit trade in stolen vehicles between Belize and Guatemala. If you have any information on the vehicle you are asked to call: 607-5579, or call crime stoppers at 0-800-922-TIPS!
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