Houses searched and seven arrested for deaths at Najayo jail

SANTO DOMINGO. The chief of the Police, Major General Manuel Castro Castillo, revealed yesterday that they know the place that rented the Hyundai SUV that was used in the assault on the Najayo jail, and whose occupants were wandering around the area near the jail.

Castro Castillo said that the rental operation of this SUV was carried out at a rental car business located on kilometer 22 of the Duarte Highway in this sector of La Guayiga.

Castro Castillo said that seven persons were arrested for investigative purposes in relation to the attempted assault on the Najayo - Men model penitentiary, where four inmates and two penitentiary officers died.

The arrests were carried out folllowing searches that were accompanied by representatives of the Justice Department in different sectors of East and West Santo Domingo. The identity of the persons arrested was not immediately revealed.

During the searches, said Castro Castillo, two clips for an M - 16 automatic rifle were found along with other military materials.

In a like manner, the chief of Police reported that they had located the place that rented the SUV used by the persons that were outside the prison compound.

The Police recalled that several persons are being investigated for the incident, including three men that turnrf themselves in by different means.

At the beginning of this week, the Police identified the members of the gang said to be responsible for the attempted assault on the Najayo jail which occurred last Friday in which six persons were killed and at least a dozen were injured.

The information from the intelligence agencies supplied to the police permitted them to identify the members of the gang headed by Abraham Suero Garcia, (El Gordo), Elvin Feliz Alcantara, (Sadan), Hairo Brito Bello and Gustavo Alcantara Valdes, ( El Grande).

Yesterday the police chief said that one of those implicated in the case turned himself in, but he did not reveal his name and at the same time issued a call to the others who are still fugitives to imitate their companion any way they feel necessary.

Major General Manuel Castro Castillo said that he would offer more details on the case as the investigations continue.