Escaped Rikers Island inmate captured
NEW YORK — A RIkers Island inmate discovered missing late Wednesday was apprehended early Thursday on the island by city Department of Correction staff, the agency said.
Staff at the isolated penal colony between the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens noticed Naquan Hill, 24, was missing at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday after he did not return from outdoor recreation, the Department of Correction said.
"I would like to thank the men and women of DOC, the NYPD, the Port Authority Police and New York State Police for their time and effort in locating this individual," acting city correction commissioner Cynthia Brann said in a statement. "Their coordinated action helped safely return this inmate to custody."
Hill was found by prison staff about 100 yards from where he was housed, WPIX reported.
The escape happened from the Anna M. Kross Center at the isolated penal colony between the Bronx, Manhattan and Queens, according to WPIX.
Hill's disappearance was discovered at around 7:30 p.m., when Department of Correction staff noticed that a headcount was off by one.
"This evening, on Rikers Island, it appears an inmate did not return from outdoor recreation," agency spokesman Peter Thorne said in a statement late Wednesday.
It was believed that Hill jumped into the water surrounding the island, but police later said the burglary suspect jumped a fence and tried to hide, waiting for a chance to escape, WABC reported. He was found at about 2:50 a.m. ET, WABC said.
For decades, complaints about horrific conditions, including murder, rats, inedible food and corruption, have plagued the facility, located a short distance from LaGuardia International Airport. In March, Mayor Bill de Blasio reversed his position that he would never close the facility, saying that the jail complex would close over the course of a decade.
The June 2015 suicide of teen Kalief Browder, who spent three years at the complex for allegedly stealing a backpack, drew attention to the conditions at Rikers. Browder never stood trial and was never found guilty. A documentary on his case helped draw a spotlight on problems at the facility.
There is only one city bus that takes people to and from the island. That bus was halted during the lockdown, WPIX reported.
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Contributing: Jane Onyanga-Omara in London.