Hattieville man fined $305 for $50 sledgehammer from employer who would not give him payment in advance

By Breaking Belize News Staff: A Hattieville construction worker has been fined more than six times the value of a sledgehammer he admitted stealing from a man who hired him for a day’s work after he would not give him an advance in payment.

Forty-two-year-old Felix Larance Petillo appeared unrepresented in the Belize City Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday and was charged with stealing a red Truper-brand sledgehammer, valued at $50, from a construction worker who had hired him.

Petillo initially pleaded not guilty and was offered bail of $1,000. However, while waiting to secure bail, he returned to court and changed his plea to guilty.

Senior Magistrate Mannon Dennison fined him $300, along with $5 in court costs. He was given until August 31, 2026, to pay or serve two weeks in prison.

According to the allegations, the construction worker hired Petillo on July 19 to assist with removing cement material from a demolished house on Locario Street in Hattieville.

Later that evening, Petillo reportedly asked for an advance payment for work scheduled for the following day. When the construction worker refused, Petillo allegedly threatened to take some of his tools.

The following morning, the construction worker discovered that his sledgehammer was missing and reported the matter to police.

Police later detained Petillo, who reportedly admitted placing the tool inside a mechanic’s vehicle. The mechanic subsequently handed the sledgehammer over to police and was not charged.

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