Arnel Joseph, one of Haiti’s leading armed gang leaders, escaped from Croix-des-Bouquets prison on Thursday during a bloody riot that left at least eight people dead, including the prison director.
National Police spokesman Garry Desrosiers confirmed to the local media the escape of Joseph, who is considered one of the most dangerous criminals in the country and is known for the violent methods by which his gang controlled the Village de Dieu neighborhood. Port au Prince.
Arnel Joseph was arrested in July 2019 after months of persecution and remained in pre-trial detention in Croix-des-Bouquets pending trial for murder and other charges.
A police spokesman also reported that the authorities have already taken control of the prison, located in the commune of Croix-des-Bouquets, on the outskirts of the capital.
However, authorities did not provide an official assessment of the casualties or report how many prisoners are still escaping after the riot.
The director of the prison, Paul Joseph Hector, was among the dead, a police spokesman confirmed.
According to witnesses consulted by Efe, at least seven men were shot near the prison after dozens of prisoners fled the detention center.
Desrosiers also said that the police had recaptured about forty detainees.
The Citizens’ Protection Bureau said in a statement that the Croix-des-Bouquets prison “had a spectacular escape” in which “dozens of prisoners had time to pass through the prison walls”.
Local media reported that some prisoners disarmed prison security officers and loaded their weapons.
Shots were heard in the area, which led many people to flee a popular market near the prison.
Croix-des-Bouquets Prison is home to hundreds of prisoners, including members of armed gangs, as well as several opponents of President Jovenel Moise who were arrested on February 7, accused of plotting a coup against the president.
In 2014, this prison, which houses about a thousand detainees, was the scene of a massive escape after an armed attack on the prison.
Haiti is currently facing a deep political crisis that has worsened on February 7 with the denunciation of the coup and the arrest of a number of opponents involved in the alleged plot.
This complaint fueled demonstrations by the opposition against Jovenel Moise, which have since taken place virtually daily in the Haitian capital.