Escaped Prisoner Found in Hospital Air Vent

By Brynn Gingras, NBC New York via NBC News

Credit: NBC New York

A prisoner who escaped police custody while at a hospital in Jersey City was caught in a vent less than an hour after he tried to break free from the building

October 16, 2012 Updated Oct 16, 2012 at 8:51 AM PDT

A prisoner who escaped police custody while at a hospital in Jersey City was caught in a vent less than an hour after he tried to break free from the building, authorities said.

The suspect, who had warrants for shoplifting, was found lying on an air-conditioning vent not far from the bathroom where he escaped inside Jersey City Medical Center at 355 Grand St., police said.

"We found him in a section of the ER that was cornered off," said Charmaine Ifill, assistant director of nursing. "He wasn't able to go to the second floor or leave that area at all. It was blocked by two firewalls, so he wasn't able to leave the room at all."

Luis Torres was being cleared for incarceration at the hospital late Monday afternoon when he said he had to use the bathroom, according to authorities. He made his escape there, climbing through the ceiling and going up through a vent.

Torres was allowed to go to the bathroom alone because he wasn't a violent criminal, police said.

There is much more to this story from NBC News, to read about it CLICK HERE.

To submit a comment on this article, your email address is required. We respect your privacy and your email will not be visible to others nor will it be added to any email lists.