Current:Home > FinanceSleeping guard, unrepaired fence and more allowed 2 men to escape Philadelphia prison, investigation finds-DB Wealth Institute B2 Expert Reviews
Sleeping guard, unrepaired fence and more allowed 2 men to escape Philadelphia prison, investigation finds
View Date:2024-12-23 14:31:54
An unrepaired fence, switched-off motion sensors and a sleeping guard are among the factors that helped two men escape from a city prison earlier this year and led to their absence being unnoticed for 19 hours, Philadelphia's prosecutor said Wednesday.
Ameen Hurst, now 19, and Nasir Grant, 24, escaped from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center in northeast Philadelphia on May 7. Hurst, who had been charged with four counts of murder, was arrested after 10 days. Grant, held on conspiracy drug and weapons charges, was taken into custody four days after the escape.
The two escaped through a gap cut in the fence that had been there for nearly seven weeks and had been noticed by prison staffers at least four days before the escape, District Attorney Larry Krasner told members of the Philadelphia City Council, The Philadelphia Inquirer reported. Authorities said they had observed the two men cutting a hole in the fence, CBS News previously reported.
According to CBS Philadelphia, prosecutors played video showing the inmates opening cell doors that were supposed to be locked with inmates inside for the night, then showed them walking down a hallway and crawling toward a door as another prisoner — also out of his cell — acted as a lookout.
One guard post in the cellblock was unoccupied and another guard monitoring the unit also had to watch two other areas, Krasner said. Another guard later reported for duty but fell asleep, then didn't conduct required prisoner counts, which allowed the long delay in detecting the escape, Krasner said. CBS News previously reported that authorities did not learn the men had broken out of the facility until hours after their initial escape.
"The escape occurs when the relief finally shows up. That relief goes to sleep," Krasner said, according to CBS Philadelphia. "... A count is supposed to be a count. A count is not supposed to be a nap."
Also, a motion detection system plagued by many false alarms due to geese landing in the area had been "turned off for more than a decade," he said.
Commissioner Blanche Carney of the city prisons department— who initially told CBS Philadelphia that the men had appeared to be in the prison during the missed checks, even though they had already escaped — cited a staffing shortage in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic as a major problem. According to CBS Philadelphia, there are 800 job openings out of the 1,719 budgeted roles in the facility. Recruitment for the roles is ongoing.
Carney said changes in executive leadership had been made and she had asked state prison officials for a security assessment. Carney also said the jails had installed additional razor wire and hoped to upgrade video systems and install new technology such as armbands offering real-time location on those incarcerated, the Inquirer said.
Four people have been charged with helping the escapees. Krasner didn't announce any new arrests on Wednesday but said the investigation was ongoing, and that he would present council members with more details in private.
- In:
- Pennsylvania
- Prison
- Escaped Prisoner
- Philadelphia
veryGood! (1713)
Related
- Republican David Schweikert wins reelection in affluent Arizona congressional district
- Vikings land first-round NFL draft pick in trade with Texans, adding ammo for possible QB move
- Tornadoes ravage Ohio, Midwest; at least 3 dead, damage widespread
- National Association of Realtors to pay $418 million to settle real estate agent commission lawsuits
- 'This dude is cool': 'Cross' star Aldis Hodge brings realism to literary detective
- Why Dr. Terry Dubrow Says He Will Definitely Give Ozempic Another Try
- Wisconsin Republican Senate candidate Hovde promises to donate salary to charity
- Russian media claims Houthis have hypersonic missiles to target U.S. ships in the Red Sea
- Todd Golden to continue as Florida basketball coach despite sexual harassment probe
- Kylie Kelce Mourns Death of Her and Jason Kelce’s Beloved Dog Winnie
Ranking
- 10 Trendy Bags To Bring to All of Your Holiday Plans
- Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin says he won’t support a budget that raises taxes
- Amber Rose Says Ex-Boyfriend Machine Gun Kelly Apologized for Not Treating Her Better
- 'Significant injuries' reported in Indiana amid tornado outbreak, police can't confirm deaths
- Shaboozey to headline halftime show of Lions-Bears game on Thanksgiving
- AP Decision Notes: What to expect in Ohio’s presidential and state primaries
- Man wins $1 million on Mega Millions and proposes to longtime girlfriend
- Travis Kelce and Patrick Mahomes Teaming Up for Delicious New Business
Recommendation
-
Biden funded new factories and infrastructure projects, but Trump might get to cut the ribbons
-
Who is Mamiko Tanaka? Everything you need to know about Shohei Ohtani's wife
-
Louisiana truck driver charged after deadly 2023 pileup amid ‘super fog’ conditions
-
Migrants lacking passports must now submit to facial recognition to board flights in US
-
Natural gas flares sparked 2 wildfires in North Dakota, state agency says
-
Semi-truck manufacturer recalls 116,000 Kenworth and Peterbilt semis over safety concerns
-
NWSL kicks off its 12th season this weekend, with two new teams and new media deal
-
Wendy Williams 'lacked capacity' when she agreed to film Lifetime doc, unsealed filings say