Chaz's Chile..... - Page 4

Chaz · #31 (**permalink**) 04-19-2009, 02:52 PM

Here's the only other piece of my 'blog' that I found.This happened the first week of November 2006. Not much crime like this in Chile, this was definitely out of the ordinary.

Heat
An interesting event happened on the sixth of November in downtown Valparaiso. I don't know all the details but apparently two guys with M-16 automatic rifles and .45 caliber pistols tried to rob an armored truck in the bank district. There is a street downtown where a lot of banks are located, I don't even know it's real name, locals just call it bank street. I was down there a few days before all this happened and had noticed the armored truck guys were a bit lax compared to the same type operation in the USA or Mexico. Ironic then that two days later some wahoo's try to rob them.
The perps were two twenty-something guys who apparently have watched way too much MTV or American movies, and thought that the mere sight of two skinny youngsta's in baggy pants with M-16's would scare the armored truck guards into handing over the money bags. Nope. The guards were evidently not impressed and a three minute gun battle ensued. About what you'd expect, automatic weapons fire, broken glass, a midday crowd of people screaming and running for cover, etc. No movie cameras though, it was the real deal. Apparently, one of the shooters saw it wasn't happening like they had hoped when he saw his buddy go down wounded, so he got on their motorcycle and sped away.
I give all the credit that is due to the guards for having the balls to engage in a firefight with M-16's because they only carry Smith & Wesson .38 Specials ! They could have put up a token resistance and backed off letting the robbers escape with a few bags of money, no one would have faulted them a bit. But I think the guards recognized the situation for what it was - just a couple of punk amateur would be robbers - and some professional pride kicked in. One perp was caught and one got away empty handed on the motorcycle. I don't know for how long he'll be free though, there is not much excitement around here crime-wise so the the police are all over this like stink-on-****. The Chilean police (Carabenieros) are professional beyond reproach and they will not take kindly to a stunt like this, at all. I'm sure they'll quickly 'persuede' the perp to give up his buddy.
The police brass and city government people are severely P.O.'d over this episode. Multiple investigations are in progress. The rumor is that the weapons used were from the local Army base so the authorities are looking into how they were obtained. The robbers strike me as being too stupid to somehow get onto an Army base and steal automatic rifles out of a guarded armory in a secure area. Apparently the robbers bought them from someone on the base with access to weapons. I hope the soldier who smuggled them off base and sold them to these two clowns got a good price because he'll end up in the joint doing hard time.

I'm told that lots of bullets were flying but that no bystanders were seriously hurt or killed. The perp who was caught had been shot a couple times, so even more props to the guards. If a guy with an M-16 is shooting at me, even if he's only 'spraying & praying', and all I have is a .38 Special, Ill be aiming at that suckers head if I'm not cowering down behind some heavy cover. But apparently the perp is still breathing and is expected to make a full recovery. I would give those two guards a raise or at least a bonus to go buy .357 magnums or .45 caliber duty pistols. There are plenty of Argentine Sistema Colt .45's availiable.
It was a sensation to say the least, really an out of the ordinary event and will be talked about here for years to come, no doubt. I want to go and see exactly where it happened and see the bullet marks on the buildings and maybe get some pics. I wish I could have been there for it, I walk all over this town but I missed the show.
In my short time here my perception of Chileano's has been that they are docile in that docile "let's all stand in line" Latin way. And they are mostly like that, but, the youth of Chile is really eating up the MTV sideways ballcap, low-hanging pants with underwear hanging out, wife beater T-shirt with gold chains ghetto schtick. These two geniuses are certainly of that ilk. And now they've graduated to the big-house.

rivardco · #32 (**permalink**) 10-15-2009, 10:55 PM

What's the chances we can continue this excellent TR?

I hope so.

(but this thread could have fizzled out for many reasons. I have dug back into the archives a little to look for recent reports on Chile. I would welcome any intelligence including other internet sites. )

Tinto · #33 (**permalink**) 10-16-2009, 12:09 AM

I think Chaz stepped out of the house. According to his profile, his last visit to the forum was the same date as his post, some six months ago. Que lastima.

Chaz · #34 (**permalink**) 11-01-2010, 05:55 PM

Hola. Wow, a year and a half since I posted here. Well, I'm back. I'll fix the broken links to some of those Chile pictures and maybe post some more.

I'm getting ready to regresar a Chile in January. I've been in the USA since June 2008 and I am definitely ready to get out of here.

cheers!

edit: bummer, I can't edit those old posts anymore. I'll post those pic's again in new posts.