Previous Story
Two law enforcers found guilty of allowing prisoner to escape
|
Posted on May 10 2006
An Immigration officer and a Corrections supervisor who fell asleep while guarding a federal prisoner were found guilty yesterday of allowing the prisoner to escape.
During a bench trial, Superior Court Associate Judge Juan T. Lizama convicted Immigration officer Marvin R. Pangelinan and Corrections officer Frank Demapan Sablan.
Lizama ruled that the government was able to prove beyond reasonable doubt that Pangelinan and Sablan were negligent.
He set the sentencing for next week.
The judge said the case is not about training, but about failing to do what the defendants were required to do—watch the prisoner.
Lizama, however, expressed concern as to why the officers were allowed to work continuously for 16 hours. Such long hours of work would exhaust a person, he noted.
Both defendants testified in court.
The Attorney General’s Office had charged the defendants with escape. The AGO said that on April 9, 2005, the defendants, while guarding prisoner Chen Li Woo, negligently allowed the prisoner to escape.
Former Attorney General Investigative Unit supervisor Joseph Aldan said that Woo was in the custody of the Department of Corrections at the time after he was arrested on charges of conspiracy and extortion.
Aldan said that Woo was admitted to the Commonwealth Health Center on April 9, 2005, for medical treatment, under the custody of Pangelinan and Sablan.
Pangelinan, 34, admitted that he went outside the hospital to smoke, but fell asleep in his car. Sablan, 38, also admitted falling asleep because he was too tired.
A DOC officer reported on April 9, 2005 at 5:01am that Woo had escaped. Sablan was the designated supervisor at that time, the investigator said.
Aldan quoted Sablan as saying that, while he was guarding the inmate at the CHC, he fell asleep; when he woke up at 4:30am, Woo was no longer there.
Sablan only saw the shackles, gown and T-shirt on the bed. He checked Pangelinan, whom he found sleeping in his car.
Assistant attorney general Kristin St. Peter prosecuted the case. Attorneys Robert Torres and Lillian Tenorio represented Sablan. Attorney Loren Sutton defended Pangelinan. The defense maintained that their clients are innocent of the charges.
