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Written by CTV3 Publisher Wednesday, 08 February 2012 02:46

Crime

Tonight while one woman recuperates from a frightful ordeal, Corozal Police have their hands full as they investigate a home invasion and arson that occurred in the Village of Libertad in the Corozal District. Last night Perfecta Leal was inside her business establishment when she was attacked by five armed mask men who robbed her of an undisclosed amount of cash and jewelry. But not satisfied the men also set Leal’s house and business on fire. Today when we visited the Village of Libertad Leal relived her terrible ordeal and told us she was lucky to be alive.

Janine Ayuso-Reporting

At around 7:00 last night Perfecta Leal was taking care of her business namely El Paso Bar located in the Village of Libertad in the Corozal District when five mask men all heavily armed barged into the establishment. At the time of incident Leal was alone inside the bar. According to her she was instructed not to talk and was taken to the second floor of the building where she lived. After she was tied to a chair the men proceeded to ransack Leal’s residence where they found an undisclosed amount of cash and jewelry. Leal was then untied but the men were not finished with her as yet because. Despite her pleas Leal was choked by one of her attackers until she fell unconscious.

The story however, does not end there because not satisfied with what they had done the men then set the victim’s bed on fire after which they fled the scene.

According to Leal she was awaken by the heat and smoke coming from her bedroom. She quickly ran out of the house where she was met by neighbors who took her in as she watched her business and home turn to ashes.

Perfect Leal, Victim

“I was so frightened that, all I count and just say to myself better no talk because some people were calling me that they want to buy and as soon as they went by the window because they locked the window and the doors and the said why Mrs. Pet, because so they call me, because why she have the place close and have the light on she  never do that  because when she closes she out off the lights and everything and she go upstairs.”

As you can see in this footage Leal’s home was completely incinerate along with everything she had in her possession.

Perfect Leal, Victim

“Yo quisiera a que me ayuden porque me quede sin dinero, sin ropa, sin nada solo lo que tengo encima gracias a Dios pues que mi vida no fue. Tenía tres refrigeradores uno que acabo de comprar de casi tres mil dólares, tenía mis televisiones, estéreo, bocinas todo, todo, todo se fue limpio nada quedo y el dinero que tenía todo se llevaron.”

According to Corozal Fire Chief Carlos Arnold, there was nothing they could have done to safe the building and its contents which were not insured.

Carlos Arnold, Corozal Fire Chief

“We investigate the fire, we went through and could identify where the fire started but what cause the fire is unknown up to this point of time. When we arrive we went into operation and we extinguish the building over and we continue to fight the fire until the other truck went to the open source and then send water from the open source.”

When we spoke to Corozal Police late this evening we were informed that no one had been arrested for the crime. Anyone wishing to assist Leal can do so by calling telephone number 668-8158.

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