Facebook fugitive Alvone Maybury hid in a closet as police moved in to arrest him yesterday.
The shooting suspect, who had been on the run for two weeks, was hunched up surrounded by clothes when officers burst into the single-storey building on Secret Lane in Pembroke.
He had not changed his appearance or tried to cover the distinctive dollar-sign tattoo under his right eye. Police sources say he seemed relaxed and was apparently cooking chicken in a toaster oven before they “interrupted his lunch”.
More than 25 officers descended on the Glebe Road area at 1.20pm after detectives received information that Maybury was holed up in a renovated out-house in the yard of a family home.
Police forced the door open and detained a man and a woman who were sitting in the main living area.
Maybury was found in the back of the building, in a location described by one officer as a studio apartment. He was hiding in a closet.
All three were handcuffed and frog marched down the hill one by one to waiting police vehicles that lined the streets.
Witnesses said Maybury was “quiet and calm” as he was led away from the shed.
One woman said he was talking about escaping from custody again.
She said: “He was saying stuff like ‘it’s cool – I can get away again anyway’. The police were circled around him when they led him away – I could only see the top of his head.
“It all happened very quietly and quickly.
“There were no firearms officers or police with shields like there was on Friday when they raided the property across the road.
“When I looked out they were taking Alvone Maybury down the hill.”
Another eye witness added: “It is very surreal. There were police everywhere all of a sudden – they were lining the streets. I did not even hear them arrive and they were gone in about 20 minutes.
“No one really said anything as they led the two men and woman down the road — there was no cussing and everyone was pretty calm.”
The tenant of the family-shared property outside which Maybury was found told the Sun she had no idea he had been hiding out in the shed.
Kim Tacklyn said: “The first thing I knew about it was when my daughter called to tell me there were police at our home. I tried to get back as soon as possible but the police would not let me through the road blocks.
“It was a complete surprise to find out Alvone Maybury was staying in our shed.
“We had no idea he was there. I don’t know him personally.”
Detectives told the Sun that Maybury had crisscrossed the island during his 14 days on the run.
Acting Chief Inspector Robert Cardwell said officers had executed search warrants in Dockyard, Boaz Island, St. George’s , Hamilton and Smiths parish during the man hunt.
He added: “We know he went to St. George’s when he first escaped to put his head down for the first few days.
“Since then he has been moving about the island.
“I think we were one or two steps behind him until quite recently when we were able to narrow down the area where he was hiding out.
“He was clearly very elusive and has been relying people assisting his movements. Now we will be looking into those offences.”
Ch. Insp. Cardwell revealed that Maybury had made no attempt to disguise himself during his time on the run.
He said: “He was found hiding in a closet at the back of the room when officers searched the out-building. The out house had no plumbing but there was a bed and seats in it.
“The only things belonging to him inside the out-house were what he was wearing and a spare pair of shoes.
“He still had his braids and his tattoo was visible.
“He was wearing trousers and a white vest when he was taken into custody.
“He obviously was not happy to get caught but did not resist arrest when he was taken in.
“A lot of hard work and long hours has gone into this investigation by police and corrections officers – and there has also been a good deal of frustration along the way. We believed it was inevitable we would get him – it was just a question of when. The commitment to get him back into custody has paid off now.”
Maybury is expected to appear in court this morning amid a very tight police presence and be charged with unlawful escape.
He already faces charges of possessing a firearm, discharging a firearm and possessing ammunition in connection with a shooting on Reid Street, Hamilton between December 18 and 19.
Maybury hit the headlines on July 14 when he gave prison guards the slip as he was being led away from Magistrates’ Court.
He remained on the run from police for two weeks and posted frequent updates on his Facebook page.
The comments led to him being dubbed the Facebook Fugitive. Maybury suggested that he was planning to surrender after he had enjoyed the Cup Match weekend as a free man. Less than 21 hours before he was found by police he Facebooked the Bermuda Sun, saying: “I promise to you and the world I’m a turn myself in after Cup Match. Sounds good to you?”
Commissioner of corrections Edward Lamb last night praised police and corrections officers for working together to catch Maybury.
He said: “From the very outset of this situation, I was confident that Mr. Maybury would be apprehended in the fullness of time, without any major threats to the public.
“Officers who formed the task force to apprehend him are deserving of our collective praise and I would like to publicly commend them for the tenacity, diligence and hard work they demonstrated in serving the entire community during this challenging time.”
