Mazaruni escapee ‘Black Boy’ recaptured after two years

Police yesterday recaptured prison escapee Ronald Daniels aka ‘Black Boy’, who has been on the run since breaking out of the Mazaruni Prison two years ago.

According to a police press release, after being tipped-off police officers went to a house at Sideline Dam, Queenstown, Essequibo Coast, where they recaptured Daniels. A man and a woman, who were with him at the time, were also arrested.

Meanwhile, further enquiries led to a search being conducted in another house at Queenstown where an unlicensed 12-gauge single-barrel shotgun was found. A man and two females, who were in this house, were also arrested.

Daniels escaped from the Mazaruni Prison on December 12, 2006. He was reportedly working in the prison kitchen, when he jumped over the fence and got away.

He was serving a three-year sentence for break and enter and larceny at the time.

While on the run, Daniels was wanted by the police, for a number of simple larceny offences committed on the Essequibo Coast and for the murder of logger and businessman Indar Gajadhar of Zorg, Essequibo Coast.
According to reports, Gajadhar was at the time cutting logs in the backdam with his workers, when a man approached demanding his chainsaw.

After Gajadhar refused, he was shot in the region of his ribs.
Prior to his death, Gajadhar had often complained about a man who had been stealing from the workers in the backdam and he had also reported the matter to the police station.

His sister recounted too that her brother had said that the man stole foodstuff and valuables from the workers and was always able to make good his escape.

Following his escape, Daniels was accused of wreaking havoc in his hometown, Bethany village. And in spite of their best efforts, the Essequibo Police were unable to capture him.

Director of Prisons Dale Erskine had told Stabroek News in January that the police were trying to recapture Daniels.

He said, however, that officers would not just randomly go in search of the man unless they receive leads or a position where the man could be found. It appears that this might have occurred yesterday.