Georgeville may be a quaint village on the western highway - but don't mess with their former chairlady.

This morning an intruder only got halfway into her home - and for that he was viciously beaten.

Monica Bodden has the story:..

Monica Bodden reporting
The attempted burglary happened at this house in the village of Georgeville around 8:45 this morning. Home owner Anna Myvette had just left for work. Home alone was her 17 year old son who was in the bathroom brushing his teeth when he heard a strange noise coming from a window on the side of the house. He made his way down the corridor and saw a Hispanic man entering through his window. His body was already halfway inside the house. He hollered at the intruder who quickly exited and made his way from out of the yard - only to be pursued by neighbors who had heard the commotion.

Damian Westby - Villager
"About 9:30 a young man from the other side of the street call us and told us that someone just break in our house. So we follow the man and caught him by the football field and we took him to the police."

Monica Bodden
"What did you guys did to him?"

Damian Westby - Villager
"We beat him up."

Monica Bodden
"He was then tied up?"

Damian Westby - Villager
"Yes."

Monica Bodden
"While you guys waited for the police to come?"

Damian Westby - Villager
"Yes."

Monica Bodden
"Is it someone from the village or you guys didn't recognize him at all?"

Damian Westby - Villager
"He speaks only Spanish. I think he is from Melchor, but I am not sure."

Danny Conorquie - Villager
"A little bit after 9 o' clock the neighbor from the worksite where we were working yelled "thief, thief," so my boss told us to catch him, so all of us ran him down near the football field and after that the next two guys that works with me jump on the man and half-damage him. After that I tied him up and waited for the police to come."

"The courageous act of the villagers in apprehending the burglar proved futile however. Upon arriving on the scene the police took the burglar into their custody and transported him to the San Ignacio hospital where he was allegedly left with no supervision and managed to escape."

Anna Myvette - Owner of the House
"The neighbors ran behind me and caught him like a mile out of the village and apprehended him for the police. My son is a minor and so the police told us that we needed to do a report at the police station. While we were there waiting to get the report done I was informed that the gentleman escape from the hospital under police custody."

Monica Bodden
"Explain that to me. What did the police say happened so that this guy could just pick up and leave?"

Anna Myvette - Owner of the House
"When I spoke to the officer who was with him he says that the other officer who was with him (the thief) went to deal with some other burglary that was taking place and he was left there alone at the hospital and he just ran."

Monica Bodden
"You all went through all this - you heard that he escape right?"

Damian Westby - Villager
"Yes ma'am."

Monica Bodden
"What even come to your mind when?...."

Damian Westby - Villager
"We just think that they didn't do a good job."

Monica Bodden
"You all did the hardest part; you capture this man for the police and the man got away."

Danny Conorquie - Villager
"Knowing that this man would get away from the police...." [laughing]

Monica Bodden
"Did he escape with anything when he left the house or he was empty handed?"

Danny Conorquie - Villager
"He was just about to enter the house. He had all the tools to enter the house. After we chase him he use to pinch bar to try to hit us. We wrestle him until he got tired then the other guys jump on him. But knowing the man would escape, it's just a waste of time. We did a better job than the police. Next time they want to hire someone to catch someone call us, we will do a better job."

But as the saying goes, there are always two sides to every story. And so we proceeded to get the police's account who also told us that burglar was identified as 18 year old Wilbert Vasquez - a Guatemalan resident.

Chester Williams - Officer in Charge, Cayo
"When he was handed over to the police we observed that he was injured to some extent and as part of the norm we would normally take them to the hospital. That was done in this case. After having been attended to by the hospital the police officer who was accompanying the prisoner at the time reported that the person sprang off and escape. We send police in the area to see if he could have been located but so far we have been unable to locate this person."

"We still have police officers out in the field pursuing him. Hopefully we would be able to find him. Nonetheless, the police officer concern will be placed on disciplinary charges in relation to allowing a prisoner to escape. I must stress that the community have done its part in terms of capturing the person and giving this person to us and we ought to have ensure that we take all reasonable steps necessary to ensure that this person was kept in custody and go to court. It's an unfortunate situation and I sympathize with the police man but we believe that he had to have been more cautious in handling of this prisoner and as a result of that he will be placed on charged."

Anna Myvette - Owner of the House
"I just stared at him, I said I am a single mother and I am here all alone with my kids. How would you expect me to tell my children, they are already traumatize, I am traumatize - what am I supposed to do? When I was speaking to the guy that came into my house this morning he told me that a gentleman brought him here to break into my house, gave him the tools and everything and so I was trying to ask the gentleman 'who sent you to break into my house' and he didn't want to give me the name of the guy, I told him that before the day is done you have to tell me who sent you to break into my house."

Monica Bodden
"This is the second incident?"

Anna Myvette - Owner of the House
"Yes this is the second time they broke into my house and the same window they gain entrance through. So now I have to worry because the police allow the guy to get away. Now I don't know who sent him to break into my house. We don't have a resident police here."

If she sounds scared, it's because this is not the first time that Myvette's house had been burglarized. Police say that they have assured Myvette that patrols will be placed in the area as early as tonight and that the village police station which has been abandoned for over a month - will soon have a stationed officer - hopefully by next week.

Channel 7

This is the man who was caught breaking into a house in Georgeville village. Residents chased him down, administered a proper beating, tied him up and called the police. Unfortunately, reports are that the man escaped police custody when he was taken for medical treatment at the hospital.

Patrick Jones

Comments are coming fast and hard on Mr. Jones report on Facebook about this "incident."

These two comments, both from women btw, sum up how lots folks in Belize are feeling right now....

"Heard the Guy got a good freaking Busss ASS!! Thank god for that child to have been at home ; gods knows how what all he could have taken. he is such a facy thief bcaz he was trying to get in thru the damn front window (the house is on the western highway.. facy dude right?)...... ALL he said is that he was sent By some1 to do the job "a black man", there is much more to the case that needs to be investigated!! so pissed at san igancio police right now!"

" what a disgrace.... have no more to say .. .i am glad the villagers beat the hell of that bastard........ other wise he would be free now and laughing in their faces..i know he is mad now , but now he's gonna think twice before trying anything..... next time hope they don't give the thief to the police,,, these kind of people deserve to be burned alive..."

It is going to get to a point that Vigilante justice like this is served more often than not unless the Police start doing their job.

It is not a good path to be going down where people dish out punishment although personally I can completely relate to their anger

Gaz

Agreed, although when the police "do their job", sometimes the person ends up dead.
Belize is on its way to getting the reputation "guilty and punished until proven innocent".

A society gets to "guilty and punished" because the police do not do their jobs. Simple. When murderers walk free and thieves who steal from tourists only lose their "bounty" to the police departments, then the vigilante groups come out.

Look at the bright side. This could be a new ad campaign for the BTB.
“Belize - Crime out of control. Police too unwilling, too inept, too corrupt to handle the situation. Vigilantes taking the law into their own hands.
Come experience Belize, at your own risk, to see what the Old West was like before law and order.”
Forget eco-tourism, lets promote "adventure tourism".

Police Say: We'll Catch Burglar Who Was Bangled Until We Bungled

Yesterday we told you about the Cayo Police Department's embarrassing misadventure with a burglary suspect.

19 year old Guatemalan Wilbert Alfredo Vasquez, was caught by Georgeville villagers after he tried to break into Anna Myvette's house. They gave him a proper beatdown and handed him over to police who took him to the hospital. But the officer, who was left to guard the suspect, wasn't paying any attention and Vasquez slipped away.

Tonight the Melchor resident remains at large but Cayo police are confident they will catch him. They say Vasquez lives in the Belmopan area - and they have embarked on efforts to track him down. They are also asking the public to assist with information.

Vasquez is 4 feet ten inches tall and weighs about 100 pounds. Anyone seeing him is asked to call 911 or 0-800-922-tips.

Channel 7