Prisoner Caught trying to Escape through Air Conditioning System
A prisoner was left dismayed after he was captured just hours after staging an elaborate escape.
Inmate, Leviticus Uriah Taylor, 25, who was being held at India River Country Jail in south-east Florida at the maximum security block, launched his freedom bid with his cellmate Rondell H Reed, 52.
Both men, considered highly dangerous, started their escape on Sunday night by crawling through air conditioning ducts and over 12 ft fences covered in barbed wire.
Reed’s efforts at escaping were successful, however, Taylor was caught just hours after the escape and returned to custody.
Taylor, who was convicted of first degree murder last month and Reed, who is facing a second degree murder charge, both came up with the plan during the five days they were held together in the same cell.
Their escape is thought to have started by breaking into a prison maintenance area, where their overalls were later found.
Next, they both would have had to pass two locked doors before mounting through air con units.
The last part of their prison escape, saw the pair climb a 12 ft high fence protected with barbed wire that surrounds the prison. Blankets were found nearby, which investigators believe were used to protect against the sharp wire.
The prisoners were reported missing on Monday morning at 4.30am. Deryl Loar, Indian River County Sheriff, said Taylor was captured at 7pm that evening, about 15 hours after his escape, in Jensen Beach.
Two women, Sadie Welker, 19, and Angela Pike, 35, have been arrested on suspicion of helping with the escape, since Taylor was returned to jail.
According to Tampa Bay news site WTSO, Welker is Taylor’s girlfriend.
Reed and Taylor were among 19 inmates being held in the prisoner’s maximum security block, said Sheriff Loar.
It is not the first time that Reed has broken free of custody, he escaped from a prison in 1989 in North Carolina, which resulted in a shoot out with the Police.
Inmate, Leviticus Uriah Taylor, 25, who was being held at India River Country Jail in south-east Florida at the maximum security block, launched his freedom bid with his cellmate Rondell H Reed, 52.
Both men, considered highly dangerous, started their escape on Sunday night by crawling through air conditioning ducts and over 12 ft fences covered in barbed wire.
Reed’s efforts at escaping were successful, however, Taylor was caught just hours after the escape and returned to custody.
Taylor, who was convicted of first degree murder last month and Reed, who is facing a second degree murder charge, both came up with the plan during the five days they were held together in the same cell.
Their escape is thought to have started by breaking into a prison maintenance area, where their overalls were later found.
Next, they both would have had to pass two locked doors before mounting through air con units.
The last part of their prison escape, saw the pair climb a 12 ft high fence protected with barbed wire that surrounds the prison. Blankets were found nearby, which investigators believe were used to protect against the sharp wire.
The prisoners were reported missing on Monday morning at 4.30am. Deryl Loar, Indian River County Sheriff, said Taylor was captured at 7pm that evening, about 15 hours after his escape, in Jensen Beach.
Two women, Sadie Welker, 19, and Angela Pike, 35, have been arrested on suspicion of helping with the escape, since Taylor was returned to jail.
According to Tampa Bay news site WTSO, Welker is Taylor’s girlfriend.
Reed and Taylor were among 19 inmates being held in the prisoner’s maximum security block, said Sheriff Loar.
It is not the first time that Reed has broken free of custody, he escaped from a prison in 1989 in North Carolina, which resulted in a shoot out with the Police.