12 cops and guards get 46 years for teen inmate deaths

TWELVE POLICE OFFICERS and guards  have been sentenced to 46 years in prison  for the burning deaths of five teen inmates of   the Tocumen Compliance Center five years ago.

The incident shocked the nation as viewers watched TV images of inmates screaming for help while custodians mocked them and called “burn, burn”

The Second Superior Court of  under Judge Lourdes Estrada Villar, heard graphic evidence from two survivors who were badly burned and survived after months of treatment in Santo Tomas hospital.
The Court acquitted Eduardo Valdez Luna Luz Maria Padilla Lasso De La Cruz and Alexander Antonio De Gracia Morales,  accused consummation of  attempted murder, infamous punishment, harassment or arbitrary measures to the detriment of minors.
Also acquitted William Erasmo Abrego, Ernesto Roger Blake Luke and Dario Caballero  of homicide and attempted burning.
The Second Superior Court denied the petitions of different preventive injunction in favor of Ortega Montenegro, Batista Rivas, Dario Caballero, Joel Agrazal, Maikol Gonzalez Sanchez, Eduardo Barreno and Guillermo Garcia Abrego.

During the trial a report from the Fire Department and the Institute of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, said the  incident occurred due to the introduction of a tear gas bomb that ignited a mattress in the cell where six  young people were trapped because  because it was locked with a padlock.
The document also revealed that on the day of the tragedy, young people  were beaten, shot and wounded and  kicked by police.
At the trial prosecuto Geomara Guerra Jones, said those involved caused the fire and prevented Fire Department members from dousing the flames.