The private helicopter aboard which Police Chief Major General Manuel de Jesus Perez Sanchez was traveling to Puerto Plata crashed yesterday at around 11am into a hill. The collision took place shortly before entering the city of Puerto Plata, when, according to the pilot, the turbine motor shut down. The head of the National Police attributed their survival to the ability of pilot Freddy de los Santos, who is also the chief of the NP’s aviation division. While the helicopter itself was totaled, only de los Santos was hospitalized in Puerto Plata for observation. Police Chief Perez Sanchez suffered a minor fracture of his right arm, the chief of criminal investigations Bernardo Santiago sustained a fractured ankle, but Deputy Chief Rafael Calderon Efres suffered only minor injuries. Perez rejected the notion that the helicopter malfunctioned due to sabotage. They had contracted it from the private company of businessman Huascar Rodriguez because the NP’s own helicopter is under repair. The police chiefs returned to Santo Domingo by private plane.
The group was en route to Puerto Plata to investigate the shooting of NP Second Lieutenant Herberto Espaillat Castillo, who was injured while on duty in Puerto Plata.