Two prisoners escape
Monday, one caught
POINTE BLANCHE--One prisoner from the Pointe Blanche House of Detention is still at large while the other is currently being held at the Philipsburg police station following a daring broad-daylight escape from the prison on Monday, April 30, around 1:30pm.
Prison Director Rudsel Ricardo said that while he does not think security on the outer fence of the prison was sabotaged, he has asked the Chief Prosecutor to allow police to conduct an investigation to determine if there was any foul play from within the prison.
He said the lack of prison guards, coupled with the release of an unusually large group of prisoners for “fresh air” at the same time, played a major role in the prisoners’ escape.
He told The Daily Herald Wednesday that the security officers from Checkmate, who are currently beefing up the manpower at the prison, had spotted the two prisoners as they climbed the roof of the kitchen and ran over to the Living section where they slid down a cloth rope made from bed sheets. But the screams and whistling of the security guards were not enough to alert the few officers on duty.
When asked whether there was any particular explanation for the release of the unusually large group of prisoners, Ricardo said that was still to be determined. He said it was true that around Carnival Time each year, prisoners tend to attempt escape; and usually the special unit MP of the prisoners would be in place, but because of the shortage of manpower, the team was not functioning.
Chief Prosecutor Taco Stein has also supported the statement made by Ricardo saying that a formal request for assistance and an update on the serious shortage of manpower at the prison have been forwarded to the Attorney General of the Netherlands Antilles and the Justice Minister. He said that while the names of the suspects were known, the information was being withheld for purposes of the investigation.
He said what must happen is that the prison must be brought to a standard where it is guaranteed that a prisoner can be kept safely under lock while incarcerated.
Police spokesman Inspector Ricardo Henson said in a press release that one man with initials E.A.D. was captured after a foot chase in the vicinity of the Vineyard Building on the same day, shortly after his escape. The second escapee, whose identity was given only as “Flamingo,” is still at large.
Henson said police received the call informing them of the escape around 3:00pm, at the time the Grand Carnival Parade was headed down Front Street in Philipsburg. Several police officers were dispatched to the area of “Over the Bank,” where the inmates were spotted running through the bushes in Pointe Blanche. The police helicopter Air-One was also used in the hunt for the suspects.
Henson said that the initial report indicated that there were three prisoners on the run but they later learnt that it was only two. While searching the area of the Vineyard Building, police spotted the suspect E. and a quick chase ended with him being captured.
The second escapee is still being sought and Henson warns that aiding and abetting the prisoner’s escape and evasion of capture constitute a crime punishable by imprisonment.
He said anyone having information regarding the escapee “Flamingo’s” whereabouts should immediately notify local authorities.
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