Prison break: Man held for Netherlands attempted murder escapes Suriname facility

A 34-year-old suspect in a shooting in the Zuid-Holland town of Noordeloos, managed to escape from a Suriname penitentiary just days before the country was set to hand him over to the Netherlands, Suriname media reports.

The suspect, Gerel Lusiano P., is wanted in the Netherlands on charges of attempted murder, attempted manslaughter and illegal firearm possession. He is the main suspect in a shooting in Noordeloos on December 10th. Passersby called the police after seeing a wounded man lying on the side of the road. The victim, a 35-year-old from Rotterdam, had been shot. A second victim, a 28-year-old also from Rotterdam, was found in a nearby meadow, also with a bullet wound. The 35-year-old victim was later arrested as a suspect.

An investigation into the shooting led the Dutch police to P. in Suriname. He was arrested by the Surinamese police on March 1st, at the Dutch authorities' request. Since then he was imprisoned in the Duisburglaan penitentiary in Paramaribo.

On Sunday he escaped. According to Suriname media, P. asked to go to the bathroom while out of his cell on his way to meet his lawyer. He then asked to see the guard in charge. Inside the guard's office, P. pulled a gun. He held the guard at gunpoint, took the guard's gun and managed to run out of the prison.

The Suriname police are calling on "anyone who has information about his whereabouts" to come forward. They warn that P. is armed and dangerous. A full investigation was launched into the escape.