Essequibo police suspect that a prisoner who staged a successful escape from the Mazaruni prison may have left his Bethany Mission, Supenaam Creek community and may be nearby in Mashabo.
A source at the Aurora Police Station yesterday told Stabroek News (SN) that they were continuing to actively pursue Ronald ‘Black Boy’ Daniels as from all appearances the man is on the run. This newspaper understands that police are acting on leads residents of Bethany Mission have provided but they have recently learnt that Daniels might now be hiding in the neighbouring community Mashabo. The source confirmed recent reports carried in this newspaper that since the man’s return to Bethany Mission he has been creating havoc for residents but law enforcers still have not found him.
Mashabo is about 9-10 miles from Bethany Mission and, this paper understands, Daniels’ familiarity with the two communities has made it difficult for law enforcers to catch up with him. SN was told that the police are getting back-up from the Quick Reaction group at the Anna Regina Police Station in their bid to capture the escapee. Following his escape and return to the community Daniels reportedly stole items and even destroyed farms. One resident said that while he has never heard of the man physically abusing anyone, Daniels had become a nuisance.
Director of Prisons Dale Erskine had confirmed that Daniels escaped from lawful custody in December. The man was working in the prison kitchen and when he scaled a fence and made a successful getaway. He had been serving a two-year sentence for break and enter and larceny since 2005.
Three weeks ago nine inmates escaped from the prison and the joint services recaptured them a few days apart. Trevor ‘Footprint’ McLean, Anil Sanichar, Royston ‘Knuckles’ Reid, Alvin Shivnarine, Asrudeen ‘Rocky’ Khan, Dhineshwar Sooklall, Randolph Rodrigues, Kenneth Richardson and Ryan Rambharose escaped during a routine feeding exercise after they overpowered two guards at the prison. Five of them have since been put before the courts on charges of with escaping lawful custody where acting Chief Magistrate Cecil Sullivan handed down sentences of three years each. The sentences will run concurrent to the ones they are already serving.
In November 2005 Anthony Macey, Otis Daniels, Harry Holder, Alvin Samaroo and Walter Ronald Wong escaped from the Mazaruni jail after ripping out wooden bars on their cell doors and cutting the compound’s chain link fence. The men did not have guns or other weapons in their possession.
At the time, one of the inmates had been serving time for manslaughter, while the others were serving sentences for drug possession and larceny. Within days, all of the men were recaptured. One of them had made it to Riverview, Goshen, Essequibo River after stealing clothing to change his appearance and taking a boat at Karau. Another escapee was caught at the New Amsterdam ferry stelling where he was going to board the late ferry. It is believed that the man’s accomplices dropped him off at Bartica and he got transportation that set him on his course for Berbice.
(Heppilena Ferguson)
