BREAKING NEWS: Three juvenile offenders break out of Sophia holding centre

 

By Leroy Smith

 

Three male juveniles this morning reportedly broke their way out of the Juvenile Holding Centre at Sophia.

 

The centre falls under the purview of the Ministry of Public Security and is supervised by the Guyana Police Force.

 

According to information reaching the News Room, the three young men who hail from Essequibo, Georgetown and Berbice were only taken to the centre yesterday, Friday, September 9 and according to the details shared with this news outlet, two were sent there for break and enter offences, while the other was sent for robbery.

 

When the News Room made contact with Minister of Public Security,  Khemraj Ramjattan, he confirmed that such a report was communicated to him this morning by the head of the detention centre.

 

Ramjattan said he was awaiting an update on the matter from Assistant Commissioner David Ramnarine who is performing the duties of Commissioner of Police, before he (Ramjattan) can make any further pronouncement.

 

Acting Top Cop, Ramnarine also confirmed receiving the information. He told the News Rom that an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.

 

Ramnarine could not say how the young men managed to free themselves from the secured juvenile facility.

 

However, sources close to the operations of the facility told the News Room that the boys used make shift tools from  bed pieces and broke through the concrete walls of the facility, while the police who was on duty was asleep.

 

The Juvenile Centre is used to house young offenders to prevent them from joining the mature prison population. The investigations are ongoing.