DPS interrogates escapees

The three inmates who had escaped from the Division of Corrections underwent a two-hour interrogation yesterday as the police tried to determine how they managed to get out of jail.

Rose Ada, the Department of Public Safety’s public information officer, said the information gathered by investigators will be the basis for filing necessary charges against those who may be involved in the escape.

The three inmates were rearrested Tuesday.

The court canceled yesterday the scheduled hearing for Shawn Appleby, 19, Jeronimo S. Ada, 22, and Melvin N. Basa, 27, because one of them was reportedly sick.

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio has expressed disappointment over Sunday’s jailbreak, the fourth in less than two years.

The governor issued a stern warning to police officers and jail guards, urging them to be more vigilant in order to prevent another escape in the future.

“He is very disappointed with the escape because he was concerned about the public’s safety on the island,” said DPS Commissioner Charles W. Ingram said.

Ingram added that training of personnel, including those assigned at the Division of Corrections, will continue.

“Those people who don’t want to follow, we just have to weed them out,” he said.

The governor, irked by the latest incident, said the jailbreak indicates lax security at the prison and negligence on the part of the jail guards and DPS officials.

Tenorio said prison officials do not need to be constantly reminded of how they should perform their job to make sure that facilities and inmates are taken care of everyday.

Before the inmates were rearrested, DPS was swamped with angry calls from residents, who vowed to shoot the three men if they tried to enter their houses to protect their families.

Ray Austin, president of the William S. Reyes Parents-Teachers Association, said the government should find a way to prevent such incident in the future. “Otherwise, they will have angry parents because they put people’s lives in jeopardy.

Since the police has issued a statement warning people that the escapees are armed and dangerous, the life of these men are in great danger said Antonio Cabrera, Saipan Harbor general manager.

“Some people may not hesitate to defend themselves and their families by using weapons. The Saipan community has changed and there are people here who do not have the same concern as the locals,” he said.