Four prisoners escaped from the Hattieville Prison last night and police say they should be considered dangerous. Their names are 24-year-old Rupert Manzanero, who was serving 6 years for burglary; 27 year old Terry Bainton who was saving 11 years for burglary and firearm charges; 29 year old Allan Cal who was serving 25 years for manslaughter, and 25 year old Gilbert Requena who was serving 18 years for manslaughter. The men were all housed in a cell in the maximum security section of the prison.
Eastern Division boss Allan Whylie says that during multiple blackouts last night, the men cut their way out of their cells. It is still unclear though how they made it out of the prison compound.
ACP Allan Whylie, Commander – Eastern Division
“The information basically is between 12 midnight and 3 am 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 hot saw and cut two iron bars and made good their escape. We’ve obtained photographs of these persons and we’ve sent it out countrywide. We’ve alerted our various police formations and we’ve implemented a number of routine traffic checkpoints with a view to hopefully apprehend these persons.
Again we’re asking the public’s cooperation to not to pick up strangers and if indeed they see anybody suspicious along the highways or in the villages or if persons know these persons from the area they came from, that they would alert either the police here in Belize City or the nearest police station or they would call the 911 hotline at 922. Again 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 about that.
Bainton I would consider dangerous, Allan Cal obviously dangerous, Gilbert Requena dangerous again, and the other fellow Manzanero again I would consider dangerous. Anybody who breaks out of prison from where they are serving a legal, lawful sentence I would consider have made up their mind to do something.”
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Rupert Manzanero, Terry Bainton, Allan Cal, or Gilbert Requena is asked to contact the nearest police station. Police say they suspect the men may be heading south but an all points bulletin has been issued countrywide.
