Previous Story
Probable cause found to charge detainee who allegedly escaped
|
Posted on Jan 12 2009
The Superior Court yesterday found probable cause to warrant the filing of charges against an 18-year-old detainee who, along with a murder suspect, reportedly escaped from the Kagman Juvenile Detention Facility last New Year’s Day.
During preliminary hearing, associate judge David A. Wiseman found probable cause that the offense of escape was committed.
Wiseman also determined that there is probable cause that Maximo San Nicolas Muna may have committed the offense.
The judge issued the ruling after listening to the testimony of Detective George David and the arguments of assistant attorney general Rebecca Warfield and assistant public defender Mathew Holley.
Wiseman remanded Muna back to the custody of the Department of Corrections.
David stated in his report that on Jan. 1 at 12:23am, the Kagman Juvenile Detention Facility reported a prison escape within their facility.
David said responding police officers learned that Muna and a juvenile recently arrested for the murder of a security guard had escaped from their facility through a cut fence line from within the facility’s yard.
The Department of Public Safety later identified the juvenile detainee as 16-year-old murder suspect Edward Blas.
David said DPS issued an all-points bulletin to find Muna and Blas.
The detective said an officer from the Juvenile Detention had stated that on Dec. 31 at 11:50pm, while in the control room monitoring the surveillance cameras, she noticed two human figures within the facility yard.
After reviewing the camera carefully, the officer immediately called for a lock down and told the unit block officer to conduct a head count.
The Juvenile Detention officers discovered that a portion of the south wing fence line had been cut open.
The officers then learned that Muna and the other detainee were missing from their cells.
At 6am that same day, Muna and the other detainee were found back outside but in the premises of the Juvenile Detention Facility.
DPS Commissioner Santiago Tudela earlier told Saipan Tribune that Muna and Blas apparently returned to the detention facility because they were hungry and thirsty.
