Law enforcement officials have recaptured both prisoners who escaped from a moving prison van on Thursday afternoon in the vicinity of Sparendaam, East Coast Demerara (ECD).
One of the escapees, Kevin Velladares of Wismar Housing Scheme, Linden, Region Ten (Upper Demerara-Berbice), later that afternoon surrendered to the Brickdam Police Station in Georgetown.
Valladares, a 26-year-old shoe-maker, was today charged with Escape from Lawful Custody Contrary to Section 340 of the Criminal Law Offences Act Chapter 8:01.
The accused appeared in the Georgetown Magistrates’ Court before Magistrate Sherdell Issacs-Marcus where he pleaded guilty and was remanded to prison.
His sentencing will be handed down on May 4, 2022.
Meanwhile, the other escapee, 40-year-old Keanon Harry, who was sentenced to one year imprisonment for trafficking narcotics, also surrendered today at the Leonora Police Station, West Coast Demerara (WCD). Charges will be instituted against him shortly.
In providing details on the incident which occurred at around 16:00hrs, Head of the Guyana Police Force’s Communications Unit Mark Ramotar explained that “after escaping from the prison van, he (Velladares) reportedly jumped into a taxi and went to the Brickdam Police Station where he turned himself in….he also told the police how they managed to break the lock on the moving prison van and escaped.”
Information on the escape was only made available to the media today.
When the media inquired about this escape yesterday, the Guyana Prison Service’s Public Relations Officer Rajiv Bisnauth responded by saying, “Urgent attention to all media outlets! Please note that there is no prison escape at any of the locations. The GPS is asking media houses not to spread any false information.”
