A MAN serving time in jail for the killing of a garment worker escaped from custody yesterday afternoon.
Public Safety Commissioner Edward Camacho has re-activated the DPS elite force, the Tactical Response Enforcement Team, to search for Steve R. Aguon.
According to Camacho, Aguon is considered dangerous and is possibly armed.
Camacho said the 27-year-old Aguon was last seen yesterday at 2:17 p.m. in the Kannat Tabla area.
Camacho said Aguon was attending a family social function. Aguon was with a corrections officer as his escort when he escaped.
Camacho said he could not release more details regarding the escape because investigation was ongoing to determine if there was negligence on the part of any DPS personnel.
Sources said the prisoner was supposed to attend a funeral for his relative, who died in a recent vehicular accident.
Camacho urged the public to immediately call 911 if they have any information regarding the escapee’s whereabouts.
“The governor and I have talked about this and I talked to other officials on the island already and gave them heads up as to the situation,” he said.
Camacho said he and the governor agreed that because of the incident, they may no longer allow prisoners to visit their families for special occasions such as funerals.
“And that is really a sad thing. I am hoping we won’t have to go that far because it is going to affect the other inmates who also have loved ones out there,” he said.
Last December, Superior Court Associate Judge Juan T. Lizama ordered Aguon to spend five years in jail without the possibility of parole.
Lizama said after serving the jail term, Aguon would be placed on probation for five years.
On Feb. 3, 2001, Welly Tosie, who works at Rifu Garment Factory, was killed by Aguon who struck the victim repeatedly with a baseball bat.
Court documents showed that Aguon confessed to investigators that he fought with Tosie in front of Bif Furniture and Tong Yang Carpet Store. He said Tosie attacked him with a baseball bat.
