Tonight, half of the prison escapees who led a mass breakout on Monday have been recaptured. When we left you last night - 22 were still at large; tonight it is 14, after 8 more were caught between last night and this afternoon - including alleged co-ring leader Joel Sierra.
We'll tell you all about them in a minute, but we start with the 7 who were taken to court today to be arraigned on escape charges.
They were arraigned in the Magistrate's Court on the crime of escape from prison, and 5 out of 7 have pleaded guilty.
They are Guatemalan Juan Ramirez, and the Belizeans: Christopher Bradley, George Bednrick, Orlando Smith, Kenroy Gamboa, Kevin Buller, and Mark Pelayo. They were arraigned before Senior Magistrate Tricia Pitts-Anderson.
Ramirez, Bednrick, and Gamboa did not waste the court's time, and they pleaded guilty to the crime. The Senior Magistrate sentenced all 3 of them to serve 1 year in prison which is to run consecutively to any other sentence they were serving before they escape. Bradley and Smith also pleaded guilty to the charge, but they were given a stiffer sentence of 1 year and 3 months, which is also to run consecutively to any sentence they were serving before they escaped.
Pelayo pleaded not guilty to his charge, and so, he has been remanded back to prison until December 4th, his next court date.
In the case of Kevin Buller, he also pleaded not guilty to the charge, and his explanation to the presiding magistrate was that the other escapees threatened him into joining the prison break. He has been remanded into custody until December 4th, which his next court date.
After the very lengthy arraignment, we got a chance to speak with Buller's attorney about his claim that he was forced into participating in the escape. Here's how that conversation went right outside the courtroom:
Ronell Gonzalez - Attorney for Kevin Buller
"This morning, Mr. Buller was arraigned for the offense of escape from prison, and he was pleaded. He pleaded not guilty, and that plea was accepted by the magistrate. What happened, it is common knowledge that there were 3 masterminds behind this entire escape. And, my client's instructions are that he was given an ultimatum. He either went along with the situation, or he would have been dealt with by the other prisoners who were there. So, basically, he was under duress. So, to speak to act in that manner, I should state for the record that my client, Mr. Buller, was actually on remand for a very basic offense. He's on remand for the offense of breach of curfew. That, in itself, is a bailable offense. The facts as to why he was there remanded on such a basic offense is beyond me. I would have to investigate further into that."
Reporter
"What was his explanation for taking so long to either turn himself in or to get somewhere where he could be safely away from these persons who put him under duress?"
Ronell Gonzalez
"Could you imagine the situation of being in fear, now that you're an escapee from the prison? And, [according] to my instructions again, he was found somewhere lurking in the same Hattieville area. He wasn't in hiding. He isn't badly beaten or so. So, I find it that he was lurking, hoping to be found, and to be returned to the prison."
