In a brazen daytime incident that has shaken local business communities in Belize City, three heavily armed men carried out an armed robbery at the popular Midtown Restaurant on Friday, October 5, 2026, making off with the on-duty security guard’s 9mm service weapon and a confidential document bag from inside the establishment.
Assistant Commissioner of Police Hilberto Romero confirmed the details of the attack in an official statement released shortly after the incident. According to Romero’s account, the security guard was stationed at his post outside the restaurant, carrying his issued 9mm pistol, when a suspicious vehicle pulled onto the property carrying the three male suspects, all of whom were openly carrying firearms.
The confrontation unfolded quickly: one of the armed suspects immediately engaged the security guard in a physical struggle, overpowering him before seizing his service pistol. Meanwhile, a second suspect entered the main dining area of the restaurant to steal the document bag, while the third suspect remained at the vehicle as a getaway driver. The trio fled the scene before local law enforcement could respond.
In the immediate aftermath of the robbery, police units managed to track down and recover the abandoned vehicle that investigators believe was used by the suspects to reach and flee the restaurant. The vehicle has now been impounded as key evidence for the ongoing investigation.
Romero noted that law enforcement teams are currently working through multiple lines of inquiry to identify and apprehend the three attackers. Investigators are reviewing closed-circuit security footage from the restaurant and surrounding businesses to get clear visuals of the suspects, and are coordinating with the Belize Transport Department to trace the vehicle’s registered owner, a step that could provide critical breaks in the case. No further details on potential suspects or the value of the stolen documents have been released as of yet.