Five arraigned for police station gun theft

Several weeks after they allegedly broke into the police national exhibit room, the five men accused of stealing seven guns and thirty six rounds of ammunition were handcuffed and escorted over to magistrate court this afternoon. James Hyde, Kareem Young, Norman Reyes Junior, Earl Bodden and Wayne Webster were taken into custody on Sunday, July eighteenth after the police recovered three of the stolen weapons during a search at one of the suspects’ home. Besides two revolvers and a fifteen gauge sawed-off shotgun, the police recovered a kit bag, jeans and two name brand sneakers. According to police all of the items were evidence in cases before the court. Although it is not known if anyone has confessed to the crime, police believe three of them gained access to the room, which is located on the lower flat of the Criminal Investigation Branch, by breaking off a padlock on a cross bar on a back window. Reyes, Bodden and Webster who were part of the construction crew doing renovations on the compound have been charged with conspiracy to commit burglary and burglary. Reyes and Webster were also charged with handling stolen goods. Hyde has been charged with handling stolen goods while Young has been charged with handling stolen goods, keeping a gas discharging weapon and keeping a prohibited firearm and unlicensed ammunition. The five men have been remanded to Hattieville prison. They are to reappear in court on August sixth. Although the police press release had stated that the crime occurred during the period of June thirtieth and July ninth, sources tell News Five that the crime may have taken place as early as April. The police have yet to confirm this report. The break-in was not discovered until July 9th.. As a result of the break in, AIP Simeon Alvarez, the officer in charge of CIB at the time of burglary was reassigned to the Raccoon street police station. According to the Ministry of National Security Alvarez was removed from his official post because there was blatant non-compliance with rules concerning the handling of evidence. In a strange footnote to today’s walk over to the court, Christy Castillo, the police press officer tells News Five that police observed a bruise on the face of one of the suspects. They questioned the four other men and one is reported to have confessed that the youth asked him to punch him so he could tell the Magistrate the police beat him in order to get a confession.