Six inmates escape from CPL Santo Domingo No. 1; Police issue public alert
Six prisoners escaped from the maximum-security cell block of CPL Santo Domingo No. 1 on 12 October. The National Police are seeking public assistance to locate them.
Escape from maximum-security block: six inmates flee CPL Santo Domingo No. 1
Six inmates escaped from a cell in block D—a maximum-security unit—of the Centre for Deprivation of Liberty (CPL) Santo Domingo No. 1 on the morning of Monday, 12 October 2026. According to vistazo.com, the ECU 911 emergency service was notified at 07:30 and police officers who arrived at the prison confirmed that the entire cell was empty.
Lenin Peralta, the police chief for the area, explained that the prisoners used a hole that had previously been used to store prohibited items. The opening had been sealed, but the inmates reopened it, broke a duct that connected to the rear of the block and created a new hole to exit to the outside. Marks found in the cell indicate that the escape was planned in advance.
The six men exited near a river. Police found tracks in that area and launched an operation that included drone flights in an attempt to locate them. Additionally, a search was conducted inside block D with personnel from the intelligence unit and the investigative branch.
The escapees were serving sentences for the offences of rape, murder, robbery and trafficking in controlled substances. Authorities suspect that the six have ties to a criminal gang known as the "R" or the "Knights of the night".
The National Police released the identities and photographs of the escapees on social media and asked the public to report any information about their whereabouts. Anyone with information can call 1800 DELITO (335486) or scan the QR code published by the institution. "Your identity will be protected", the institution stressed.
For its part, the National Service for Comprehensive Care of Adult Persons Deprived of Liberty (SNAI) reported that it had activated the corresponding security protocols and is coordinating actions to clarify the facts.
Source: Google News DO — Santo Domingo