Release of convicted murderer to do community service alarms officials

Gov. Pedro P. Tenorio yesterday expressed disappointment over the decision of authorities to allow inmate Jesse James Camacho, who was convicted for the brutal slaying of a 13-year-old boy in April 1998, to do community work last Wednesday.

Mr. Tenorio said he was as much surprised just like everybody else that Mr. Camacho was chosen to assist the Board of Parole office in providing maintenance work.

Assistant Attorney General Kevin Lynch, chief of the Criminal Division, strongly protested the decision allowing Mr. Camacho to get out of the corrections facility without close supervision.

Apparently irked by the incident, Mr. Lynch reminded Director Gregory Castro of the Division of Corrections about the efforts made by the staff in ensuring the successful prosecution of the case and supporting the family of the victim.

Tagged as the mastermind in the killing of 13-year-old Antonio Sablan Jr., Mr. Camacho was sentenced to 45 years in prison after committing what Superior Court Associate Judge Timothy Bellas had described as the most serious crime committed in the history of the Commonwealth.

The victim was stabbed 37 times in their house in Dandan which was supposedly part of initiation rites for membership into the so-called Red Rum gang.

Mr. Camacho’s two co-defendants, both minors, earlier entered into a plea agreement and served as witnesses for the government. Each of them was sentenced to two years in jail.

Public Safety Commissioner Charles Ingram said his office will be reevaluating criteria for allowing inmates to perform community work, as a result of the incident.

Mr. Ingram clarified that any inmate cannot just be allowed to go out if an agency needed assistance on certain maintenance work since certain factors must be considered such as good behavior, flight risk and the type of crime committed. An agency that accepts an inmate released to its custody assumes the responsibility of supervising him or providing security.

Claiming that it was an isolated incident, the Board of Parole has apologized to the Division of Corrections for the inconvenience and for failing to supervise Mr. Camacho.

Vicente S. Attao, chief parole officer, has assured DOC that inmates who are taken out and asked to do maintenance work on public restrooms and surrounding offices are supervised at all times.