The second escaped prisoner who broke out of the Corozal Police Station lockdown has been recaptured. Florentino Ruiz, 24, of Corozal Town, was taken to court today, after he was brought into the Corozal Police Station on Tuesday, November 12, by a Justice of the Peace. Ruiz was taken to the Corozal Magistrate Court today, where he pleaded guilty to a drug possession charge, and he was fined $1,000.
Ruiz also pleaded guilty to escape from lawful custody, but the magistrate did not accept his guilty plea, and he was granted bail of $1,000, and is to return to court on January 6 next year. Ruiz was ordered to pay the fine by February 28; in default, he will serve 10 months in prison.
Police said that on Monday last week, Ruiz and Alex James Santos, 48, a Honduran living in Chetumal, were both in detention at the Corozal Police Station. Ruiz was to be taken to court on the drug possession charge, and Alex James was to go to court on an illegal entry into Belize charge.
When police checked the cell at about 7:00 that Monday evening, however, Ruiz and James’ cells were open, and they were nowhere to be found. Police searched in and around the area, but the search was in vain. The men had escaped. Police then began a hunt to capture the two men.
The next day, at about 4:30 Tuesday evening, November 5, residents of San Jose called police when they saw a suspicious-looking man walking in their village. Police came quickly and the man was intercepted. He was found to be escaped prisoner Alex James Santos.
Santos was arrested and on Friday, November, 8, was taken to court, where he pleaded guilty to escape. He was fined $500, and in the case of a default of payment, would be sentenced to two months in prison. He was ordered to pay the fine forthwith. Santos was unable to pay the fine and he was sent to prison to spend the 2-month jail sentence.
Ruiz was later found in Corozal and brought in to the police on Tuesday, November 12. He was taken to the Corozal Magistrate’s today, Wednesday, where he was fined for drug possession, and offered bail for the escape.