Suspect linked to alleged plot to kill Ecuadorian prosecutor escapes jail

(CNN Spanish) —

Fabricio Colón Pico, alias “Capitan Pico” and alleged leader of the Los Lobos gang, escaped from Riobamba prison, the mayor of that city, John Vinueza, told CNN this Tuesday.

A few days earlier, the man was publicly identified by Ecuadorian prosecutor Diana Salazar, suspected of taking part in an alleged plan to take his life and that of his family. Colon Pico was arrested in Quito during an operation on Friday.

Vinueza indicated that 38 other prisoners escaped along with Colon Pico, 12 of whom have been recaptured.

CNN has not yet received a response from Colon Pico’s legal representation.

Regarding the escape of Colon Pico and Adolfo Macias, alias “Fito” and leader of the Los Choneros gang – who escaped from a prison in Guayaquil, the Secretary of Communications, Roberto Izurieta, said this Tuesday in an interview with a local Digital media, who escaped from two prisons in Ecuador because they no longer considered them safe for crime.

“With the full power of the state and the political decision of the country, I am confident that these two fugitives will be found. “Those two fugitives are on the run because the safe place they had is no longer safe,” Izurieta said.

He said the prison system cannot continue to be a place for organized crime to operate.

Colon Pico’s escape came amid a state of emergency declared by President Daniel Noboa this Monday due to “serious internal turmoil”, prison tensions and other incidents of violence in the country.

Colon Pico was arrested in Quito on Friday, January 5 and received a preventive detention order that he was serving a sentence in the prison of the city of Riobamba for his alleged participation in the crime of kidnapping, as confirmed by the prosecutor’s office .

According to the police, the man faces approximately 21 proceedings for various crimes, including: organized crime, illicit relations, possession of unauthorized firearms, robbery, qualified robbery, production of scheduled substances under control and trafficking. Organization or financing, threats. and arms trafficking.