Four escaped prisoners still at large

Few people in Belize still sleep with their doors open, but this evening it’s worth making double sure that your home is secure. The reason is a jailbreak at Hattieville … and more than thirty-six hours after they busted out, none of the four escaped cons have been caught.

Jacqueline Godwin, Reporting
Tonight prisoners Rupert Manzanero, Terry Bainton, Gilbert Requeña, and Allan Cal remain on the run after they broke out of jail on Sunday morning.
Manzanero and Bainton are convicted burglars, while Cal and Requeña are serving time for manslaughter. According to police investigators, the inmates escaped during a power failure at the Belize Central Prison in Hattieville.

Sr. Supt. Allen Whylie, Commanding Officer, Eastern Division
“Between twelve midnight and three a.m., there were a series of blackouts experienced at the Kolbe Foundation and these persons, who were kept in the multi-max building, apparently used a hacksaw and cut two iron bars and made good their escape. We’ve alerted our various police formations and we’ve implemented a number of routine traffic checkpoints with a view to hopefully apprehending these persons.”

And while the countrywide manhunt continues tonight, police say they are also trying to determine if the four prisoners, who are considered dangerous, had inside help.

Sr. Supt. Allen Whylie
“The escape is under investigation by the police as well as the Kolbe Foundation personnel to see whether or not there was some internal collusion by them, so we are very concerned over that.”

Motorists are cautioned not to pickup any strangers and to alert the police immediately at 911 if any of the wanted men are spotted. According to police, officials of the Kolbe Foundation were invited to this morning’s press briefing, but none of the prison representatives showed up.