Round-the-clock manhunt on for ex-Army reservist who escaped Rhode Island detention center
(FOX)- A round-the-clock state and federal manhunt was underway Monday for an inmate who escaped from a Rhode Island detention center.
Former Army reservist James Morales, 35, fled Saturday by climbing a basketball hoop to reach a rooftop, cutting through a fence and climbing through razor wire, the Wyatt Correctional Center warden Daniel Martin said.
Martin added said it took more than three hours to discover Morales was missing. Two officers have been placed on leave after his escape.
Massachusetts state police said Monday they recovered a stolen vehicle believed to have been used by Morales. Police said he likely fled to Attleboro, Mass. and stole the car.
The station reported that Morales may have knocked on the door of an ex-girlfriend. Neighbors said that she and her two kids were taken away from the area for their safety.
Morales is facing charges for allegedly stealing 16 guns from a U.S. Army Reserve Center. The FBI said he stole assault rifles and handguns from an armory in Worcester, Mass., in 2015. He’s also facing child rape charges.