A 25-year-old man who, as a teen, attacked another Surrey teenager with an axe and left him a quadriplegic, has been released from prison once again – the latest attempt to reintegrate Enrique Quintana safely into society before his sentence ends in September.
Quintana was originally jailed in February 2008 for the 2006 incident in which Michael Levy's spinal cord was severed. Quintana and two other teens surrounded Levy at a party at Tynehead Hall, broke a bottle over his head and punched him, before Quintana struck him three times in the neck with a hatchet.
Quintana was sentenced as an adult to seven years, seven months in prison.
He was first freed on statutory release (automatically granted to anyone not serving a life or indeterminate sentence once two-thirds of a sentence is served) in March 2013, but breached his conditions three times that year, landing him back in custody several times. His conditions were to abstain from drugs and alcohol, be on good behaviour and not to associate with anyone involved in criminal activity.
In June 2013, he returned to his halfway house stumbling and slurring. He admitted he'd been drinking and was re-released later that month after participating in an intervention program.
Two months later, in August 2013, he was again caught drinking and subsequently released with an earlier curfew and additional supervision.
In December 2013, however, he made a more serious infraction, associating with a known criminal. Police were talking to him about the murder of a friend when it was discovered that although Quintana knew the dead person was a drug dealer, he had met with him several times and had tried to contact him just prior to his death.
It was then that Quintana was returned to a maximum security institution. His statutory release was officially revoked by the Parole Board of Canada in February 2014.
He remained in jail for the year, until last month, when he was granted another statutory release. According to a Dec. 23, 2013 parole board decision, Quintana must adhere to additional conditions this time around, including one requiring him to live in a residence chosen by the Correctional Service of Canada.
"…to date you have not demonstrated the ability to control your actions even when under strict supervision in the community," reads the decision. "For these reasons, you require the significant structure and support only available through a CRF [Community Residential Facility], to assist with your reintegration into society and to ensure public safety."
Quintana, who has been assessed as a high to moderate risk to re-offend, will also be required to report to a parole officer, who will be able to return Quintana to prison if his risk to the public becomes unmanageable.
The conditions, however, will all be lifted once his sentence is complete Sept. 26.
After that, Quintana will no longer be under the jurisdiction of the parole board, but Corrections Canada officials may apply, if they feel it's warranted, to have offender subject to a period of parole.
The parole board acknowledged Quintana had made some positive steps while incarcerated, such as getting counselling and attending programs, demonstrating a "strong desire to create a law abiding life." He has been incident-free since last February and documents show he hopes to become a personal trainer.