Prison Escapees Still On the Run

The Belize Police Department continues to hunt for two escapees who managed to elude police while being taken to court in Benque Viejo Del Carmen Town, Cayo. Last week, the accused murderers, 25-year-old Sergio Pineda and 20-year-old Piers Castillo, escaped from the courthouse’s holding area. The men, who are both considered to be very dangerous, were remanded for their alleged roles in two murders that occurred in 2021. According to the Commissioner of Police, Chester Williams, the men are believed to have fled to Guatemala. He says that the police are also investigating whether there was any negligence by the police that led to the escape.

Chester Williams, Commissioner of Police: “I know that the fellow is one who gave the police a very hard time to have been located when he was wanted for a number of cross border incidents in the west. He is such a character. It is sad that he was able to escape from the police while he was attending Magistrate’s Court in Benque Viejo Town however we are again liaising with our Guatemalan counterparts and I must say that we have gotten good cooperation from them, to see if they will be able to assist us in locating this individual and getting him back in custody. Following his escape he was seen going over to the Guatemalan side of the border so we believe that he is in the Peten area. Certainly it is a part of the investigation to see if there was any negligence or breach of policy that led to the escape of the individual and so as soon as the professional standards branch is done with that aspect of the investigation then we can give you an update.”