On Sunday June 23, 2013, three prisoners escaped from the House of Detention located next to the Police Station in Philipsburg. The Public is asked to give information that can lead to the apprehension of the escapees and also to give information on how the escape was organized. Information directly leading to arrests of the escapees and to the arrest and conviction of those who helped them will be rewarded! Information can be communicated to the police on the tip line (Phone +1721 9300).
One of the escapees (Sobiesky PARRONDO) is a suspect in a murder investigation; the two others (Carlos RUIZ and Marco SANTANA GUERERO) were detained on an extradition request from the United States pertaining to a large scale drugs operation. All originated from the Dominican Republic.
The office of the Prosecutor has formed an investigative team from members of the Police Force of Sint Maarten and the National Detectives to investigate the matter. This team will be aided by the forensic department and experts from the Dutch National Forensic Institute (NFI).
The team has two main objectives: tracing the escapees and returning them into detention and finding out how the escaped was organized.
Escape from detention and aiding and abetting such an escape are crimes, carrying a hefty prison sentence with a maximum of ten years.
