BREAKING NEWS: 2 inmates escape DOC

By Johnnie Rosario

10:49 p.m. UPDATE: Police are responding to a citizen report that Mr. Atalig was seen about 30 minutes ago near Oka PayLess, and that Mr. Atalig had asked the citizen where the nearest gameroom was. The citizen pointed in the direction of the gameroom near the old Pizza Hut in Tamuning. According to radio transmissions, Mr. Atalig reportedly is wearing a navy blue shirt.

10:35 p.m. UPDATE: Kandit has received the radio transmission of a female from the Department of Corrections calling in the escape and announcing the initial APB. Click below to listen to the dispatch:

(Mangilao, Guam) Police are in pursuit of two maximum security inmates at the Department of Corrections, who escaped around 9:10 p.m. tonight, just as the DOC oversight hearing on previous escapes was ending.

According to radio transmissions by police and dispatchers, 44-year-old Johnnie Gene Del Rosario and 44-year-old Johnny Atalig were picked up by a brown Ford truck, and headed toward Chalan Pago.

Mr. Del Rosario is serving time for kidnapping, tying up, pistol whipping, and holding at gun point a store owner in Yigo. In a 2009 Wanted Person report by the Guam Police Department, Mr. Del Rosario was considered armed and dangerous. He has a history of armed violence.

SWAT has been activated for the pursuit.

Mr. Atalig has a history of violence and drug charges. He was considered armed and dangerous in a 2014 Wanted Person report by GPD.

This event happened on the heels of a legislative oversight hearing on prison operations, precipitated by Federal Bureau of Investigations testimony in federal court that Yona Mayor Jesse Blas was receiving bribes to influence high-level DOC officials to illegally release prisoners. To read our report on this oversight hearing, click here.

This is a developing story.