Six inmates escape from Santo Domingo prison after opening hole in maximum-security area
Six detainees escaped from Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas prison in the early hours of Monday, 12 October. Police have released their identities and are appealing for public information.
Escape in the early hours: six inmates escape from Santo Domingo N.° 1 Detention Centre
Six detainees escaped from Santo Domingo de los Tsáchilas prison during the early hours of Monday, 12 October 2026, according to primicias.ec. According to a police report, the inmates opened a hole in a wall in the maximum-security area and fled at approximately 03:00 from stage 3 of the penitentiary centre.
According to the preliminary report, the inmates made hammocks from fabric to descend towards the rear of the Bellavista social rehabilitation centre. The hole used connected to a 45-by-45-centimetre opening in a wall, through which the inmates were able to access a river leading outside the prison.
The hole was used as a hiding place before the escape
Lenin Peralta, acting commander of Santo Domingo Police, explained that this space was already being used by inmates to conceal prohibited objects. Although the hole was sealed after each search, it was opened again to facilitate the escape.
Peralta also confirmed that there would be no images of the moment of escape, because the surveillance cameras—both inside and outside the prison—are in poor condition or are absent at certain points.
Profiles of the escapees: rape, murder and drug trafficking
Hours after the escape, Peralta specified that three of the six inmates are facing proceedings for rape, one for robbery, another for murder and one more for drug trafficking. After 17:00 on the same Monday, the National Police publicly released the names and identities of the six escapees and requested public cooperation to locate their whereabouts.
The institution indicated that any information will be treated confidentially. Members of the public can report information via the line 1800 335-486 or through the QR code released by the National Police.
Operations and review of responsibilities
Police became aware of the escape following an alert from the ECU 911 emergency system, which made it possible to locate the opening through which the inmates allegedly left. In response, actions were coordinated with the Armed Forces to carry out a search of ward D, corresponding to the maximum-security area.
In addition, patrols were intensified in the East, West and La Concordia districts, as well as on the exterior of the penitentiary centre. The police report notes that the officers who were on duty at the time of the escape will be placed at the orders of the competent authorities to determine possible responsibilities.
Second escape incident in less than a month in Ecuador
The incident occurred less than a month after three prisoners escaped from Turi prison in Cuenca. The repeated escapes from detention centres in the country again highlight the deficiencies in infrastructure and surveillance in the Ecuadorian prison system.
Source: Google News DO — Santo Domingo