Police say one woman is now facing criminal charges after allegedly assisting one of the escapees from the Constant Spring police station lockup. Twenty-one-year-old Shamara Holmes is accused of harbouring her boyfriend, Talik Chambers, when police caught up with him in Waterloo Gardens, St Catherine.
Reports say Chambers, who is a resident of Burlington Avenue in Kingston 10, was in custody for identity theft at the time of the breakout. Earlier, police confirmed that all the prisoners who recently staged the daring escape on August 19 are now back in custody. The recaptures followed a string of operations across the Corporate Area and St Catherine.
During the manhunt, law enforcement officials reiterated that harbouring a fugitive is a serious offence and could result in prosecution. They urged citizens to cooperate with the authorities rather than put themselves at risk of being charged.
As warned, Holmes has been charged with harbouring a fugitive. Holmes, who is an unemployed resident of St John’s Road in Spanish Town, St Catherine, is scheduled to appear before the St Catherine Parish Court, where a date is expected to be confirmed soon.
The last of the fugitives, 19-year-old Alunzo Espute, was apprehended within two days of the breakout. The Cassava Piece, Kingston, resident is facing a murder charge. The successful recapture operations have sparked praise from concerned locals.
Authorities reported that the men had cut through a grille and a metal door to make their way out of the facility in the early hours of Tuesday morning. Their escape triggered a heightened island-wide manhunt and warnings to the public not to shelter them.
A report says that investigators are turning attention to preventing similar incidents in the future. The recaptured prisoners will now have to face their outstanding cases in court and also new charges that have emerged in the aftermath of the breakout.