Police guard assigned to Bella Vista condo building after home invasion
Newsroom exclusive
After a gang home invasion, att least one high end condominium in Bella Vista has called a meeting of its management committee to discuss security during the upcoming carnival.
The building houses a prominent deputy in the ruling coalition, and is currently under a 24 hour police watch in addition to the regular building security detail. It is a short walk from the Cinta Costera carnival site,
The police watch follows an incident earlier in the month when a gang of six men arrived at the building, threatened the security guard with a gun, locked him in his washroom, and took his jacket. While two remained below to watch the two concierges, the others drove into the building’s parking lot and then took an elevator straight to the floor where the deputy lives. The maid, seeing one of the men in a security jacket, let them in. They scoured the apartment looking for the safe box. When they didn’t find it, they took some small items and left. To exit the parking lot they had to force the sliding access door.
Within 24 hours, a permanent police guard was assigned to the building.
Now, residents are concerned about security during the carnival which the tourism chief, Salomon Shamah, predicts will attract 250,000 celebrants.