Shootout with police and armed robbers in Orange Walk; one arrested

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There was a pair of armed robberies which took place in Trinidad Village, Orange Walk at two bars and was only stopped by quick responding police officers. The robberies took place first at Primavera Bar on Friday, September 13, 2019 around 9:30 p.m. There, three masked men held customers and employees at gunpoint. At least two patrons were injured and robbed of significant sums of money. From the bar, the robbers made off with a tablet and about $250 in coins. The bar’s proprietor, Basilia Hamilton, says that besides the three robbers that actually entered the establishment, there was a fourth who followed her daughter-in-law into the establishment and a fifth waiting in a car.
After leaving Primavera bar, the group targeted sports bar Los Amigos and could have possibly hit a third bar if it were not for the work of the police. A police patrol, which was working in the area, was alerted and set chase behind the vehicle that was described as the getaway vehicle. The patrol car followed the getaway car until the armed robbers made the mistake of turning into a dead end. The men attempted to flee and that is when the police fired shots at the men. Luckily, no one was injured and the police were able to get at least one person into custody. That person is 34-year-old Francisco Santos, a locksmith of a St. Matthew’s Village address.
On Sunday, September 15, 2019, Santos was formally arrested and charged for two counts of robbery.