After several reported sightings in Berbice, murder accused Stafrei Alexander, who was one of the six inmates who broke out from the Camp Street Prison on July 9, was recaptured in the county last evening by police, who credited information received from the public for the fugitive’s arrest.
Alexander, 32, also known as “Anthony Williams” and “Ratty,” was arrested shortly after 8 pm at Topoo Village, Corentyne.
According to police, Alexander had just emerged from his hideout in the backlands and was heading to a house in the area when police cornered him in an unfenced yard. He was unarmed.
The Department of Public Information (DPI) last evening reported acting Police Commis-sioner David Ramnarine as saying that Alexander’s arrest follows a special operation that was launched in Berbice with support from Police Headquarters based on information received from members of the public.
‘B’ Division Commander Paul Williams told Stabroek News that police had received information since Friday that Alexander was hiding in the area. As a result, searches were conducted at known “drug houses” in the area on Friday evening and a few persons were detained. The searches continued yesterday evening and led to the successful recapture of the escapee.
Alexander was subsequently taken for treatment at the Port Mourant Hospital for a gunshot wound to the foot. The police suspect that he sustained the wound during a previous encounter in the Port Mourant, Corentyne Area.
Police in Berbice had launched a manhunt for Alexander in the Port Mourant backlands on the Corentyne just over a week ago.
Then ‘B’ Division Comman-der Ian Amsterdam had said investigators received reliable information that Alexander was spotted in the Port Mourant area. A senior police source had said that lawmen were told that Alexander knew the backlands very well.
Alexander has been charged with multiple murders, including that of Linden businesswoman Shevon Gordon and a co-accused in the crime. He had previously escaped from police custody while being held for the woman’s murder and several counts of robbery. After his recapture, he was charged with murdering Robin Maxwell Thomas, who had been one of the two men jointly charged alongside him with the murder of Gordon. He was also charged with the murder of another man, Richard Remington, which was committed at Cholmondeley Hill, Wismar, Linden.
Meanwhile, the DPI report said the Guyana Police Force thanks the members of the public who provided the information which led to Alexander’s capture and asks that the public continue to provide information which is critical to the recapture of all the prison escapees.
With Alexander’s arrest, only three Camp Street escapees remain on the run—Bartica massacre convict Mark Royden Williams, murder accused Uree Varswyk, and drug trafficking accused Cobena Stephens, also known as ‘OJ.’ During the breakout by Alexander, Williams, Varswyk, Stephens, murder accused Desmond James and drug trafficking Cornelius Thomas, a prison officer, Odinga Wickham, was fatally shot, while others were wounded. The jailbreak coincided with a fire, which devastated most of the prison.
