Twenty “extremely dangerous” Guatemalan inmates tunneled their way to freedom on Saturday. According to Guatemalan authorities, the offenders were rapists, murderers, and kidnappers. The escape occurred in a prison known as “Little Hell” which is located in south Guatemala.
The prisoners dug a 390-foot long tunnel, which is believed to have taken months to finish. The tunnel was ventilated with a fan, and opened outside of the prison in a corn field. Officers are unsure how the inmates managed to hide the dirt from their dig, but several prison officials have been detained for questioning. Francisco de la Pena, the director of the Guatemalan prison system, was fired.
Several of the escaped prisoners left messages on the prison walls, saying they escaped because they were tired of short family visits among other things. One inmate scrawled “I could never hug my own children” on a wall, while another inmate complained about 50- and 100-year sentences. Other inmates complained that while they were in jail, their significant others had abandoned them and found other love interests.
Guatemalan authorities are offering a $6,500 reward for anyone who leads to the capture of the escaped offenders.