Cops want to know: How did cuffed 'Houdini' escape?
olleyc@phillynews.com 215-854-5184 Maybe after the acrobatic thief faces the music for eluding police early Sunday and taking off in a police cruiser while handcuffed, he could become a circus performer.
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215-854-5184
Maybe after the acrobatic thief faces the music for eluding police early Sunday and taking off in a police cruiser while handcuffed, he could become a circus performer.
Commissioner Charles Ramsey has ordered an Internal Affairs investigation into how the man managed to maneuver his way from the backseat of a patrol car to the front and drive away while handcuffed.
The limber individual, described as Hispanic, in his 20s, with a very thin build, black hair and wearing a white T-shirt and dark jeans, is still on the lam, police said.
"I have a lot of questions about how that occurred, too," said Lt. Frank Vanore, a police spokesman, of the incident.
Vanore said it appears that the suspect, who was secured in the back of the car with his hands cuffed behind him, slipped his hands under his feet and then squeezed through an opening in the Plexiglas panel separating the back and front seat.
Vanore said that he wasn't sure if the keys had been left in the ignition but that "it would be almost impossible for him to start the car without some sort of key."
When asked where the police officers were in relation to the car at the time the suspect made his bold escape, Vanore said, "It's going to have to be answered by the investigation."
The incident that led to the escape began shortly before 6 a.m. Sunday, at 2nd Street and Glenwood Avenue, when officers were flagged down by a civilian who said that two men in a gold Chevy Tahoe were armed with guns, police said.
Cops caught up to the Tahoe at American and Somerset streets, but the driver refused to pull over.
The chase ended shortly after, at 6th and Wood, when the Tahoe rammed a pole, police said. The driver was successfully taken into custody.
The Tahoe passenger was placed inside the patrol car, after which he made his move and took off for Camden. The cop car was found there, and is now being dusted for prints, Vanore said.
Police officers are required to inspect their vehicles before their shift begins, Vanore said.
"If there is any deficiency, there's a form they have to fill out and they report them right away," Vanore explained.
"Those checks are documented on their personal logs daily."
Anyone with any information on the fugitive should call 215-686-TIPS. *
