Prison escapee back in custody
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
Police yesterday captured a 25-year-old escapee from O'ahu Community Correctional Center, one day after he climbed a razor-wire fence to break out of the facility.
Michael Ventura was arrested at a Pacheco Street apartment in Kalihi about 8:30 a.m. He was taken to a hospital for treatment of numerous cuts he suffered when he scaled the fence.
Ventura
Police also arrested Ventura's 19-year-old girlfriend and a 38-year-old man on suspicion of hindering prosecution.
Prison officials yesterday remained baffled as to why Ventura would want to escape. Ventura was sent to OCCC on Dec. 14 to serve a 90-day sentence after being convicted of third-degree assault and was scheduled to be released Jan. 26, said Mike Gaede, Department of Public Safety spokesman.
An escape conviction carries a five-year prison term.
"We will be talking to him when we get him back," Gaede said. "Right now he's all stitched up because the razor wire cut through him like a hot knife through cold butter."
Ventura was considered a low security risk and was housed in the minimum-security annex at OCCC. He was last seen about 8:10 a.m. Monday as other inmates were heading for their work areas.
Ten minutes later, Gaede said, Ventura's pants and underwear were spotted snagged in razor wire at the top of a fence that abuts the old Foremost Dairy plant. Ventura was seen running across Dillingham Boulevard with cardboard boxes around his waist.
Gaede said prison officials will investigate the escape, but he said he doesn't believe any major changes will be made in that area of the prison.
"Historically your least problems is your minimum-security people because they have such a short time," he said. "Minimum security, if they do bolt, they're idiots. They're just tacking on more time and for a lot of them that's the last thing they want to do."
Reach Curtis Lum at culum@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8025.
