Minneapolis Manhunt: Four Injured During Ottawa County Jail Escape
KSAL Staff / Matt Horn KSN News - Wed 06:33 AM 04/18/2012
From left, Santos Carrera, Eric James, and Drew Wade.
UPDATED 7:14 AM
8:10 AM
9:50 AM
10:55 AM
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3:10 PM
8:45 PM
Four inmates escaped from the Ottawa County Jail in Minneapolis Wednesday morning.
Officials say that the inmates overpowered jail workers to get into the control room and escape the jail. In the process, they injured three jail staff members.
A citizen was also injured. The citizen was getting into his vehicle, and was over-powered by the escapees. They stole the vehicle. The citizen sustained a cut on his face. The injury was not life-threatening.
No other details on any of the injuries were immediately released, other than they were described as "minor" injuries.
One of the men was apprehended a short time later. At about 5:30 in the evening a second arrest was made. 21-year-old Drew Wade was arrested in North Platte, Nebraska. Wade was in jail on Shawnee County convictions of aggravated battery and attempted robbery.
Two escapees are still at large. They are:
22-year-old Santos Carrera-Morales – Hispanic male, 5’9, shaved head, goatee.
22-year-old Eric James – Light skinned black male, cornrows
Authorities are looking for two possible vehicles. A gold or brown 2002 Nissan Altima with a Kansas tag number of 649-CII, or a tan 2005 Chevrolet Venture mini-van with Kansas tag number 854-DZQ.
All three may be armed with knives or shanks.
According to Kansas Department of Corrections records, Carrera-Morales was in jail on a Sedgwick County 1st degree murder conviction. He was serving time for a double-murder in Sedgwick County in March, 2007. The victims, Julio Morales, 16, and Adrian Vega, 18, were shot to death in the 9100 block of E. Harry.
James was in jail for convictions of aggravated kidnapping and aggravated burglary in Bourbon and Anderson Counties. All of the inmates had been transferred to the Ottawa County Jail from the Ellsworth Correctional Facility.
KDOC has housed inmates in Ottawa County since January 17, 2012.
The agency says the escapees are considered armed and dangerous.
If anyone has information please call 911, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation at 1-800-572-7463 or Ellsworth Correctional Facility at 785-472-5501.
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6801
Wednesday 18 April 2012 07:50 Report this comment
for those od us who live in Minneapolis NAMES would be nice we might know them instead of just a car description
camala74
Wednesday 18 April 2012 08:21 Report this comment
you can go on salinapost.com and see names and pics of 3 of them
camala74
Wednesday 18 April 2012 08:21 Report this comment
in fact it looks like they are now being shown here
getumgranny
Wednesday 18 April 2012 08:42 Report this comment
Well, aren't they a dandy looking bunch of upstanding citizens!!! I sure hope they get them caught before anything serious happens to a poor innocent person!! Please, everyone, be on your guard right now until they put these guys back in jail!! Doors locked, and do not be opening a door to people you do not know, who knows who they may have helping them, I'm sure they know by know their pictures are out here. And, please, if you know them and where they are hiding, turn them in!!!
getumgranny
Wednesday 18 April 2012 08:44 Report this comment
oops, *know by now*
ttfndude
Wednesday 18 April 2012 08:54 Report this comment
isn't a joke these guys are transfers from ellsworth and two are heavy hitters....please I have heard of people doing some ignorant things (ie. going out and being looky loo's) just stay home today if you don't need to be anywhere....also helps the police do their job if they are not worried about you!
THEENFORCER
Wednesday 18 April 2012 09:00 Report this comment
If they come our way the cops will need 3 body bags to pick up what's left. Evidently Ottawa County is not capable of handling prisioners. Like to know more on how they escaped.
Kenny_Powers
Wednesday 18 April 2012 09:02 Report this comment
One is in for kidnapping, one for aggravated burglary, and one for 1st degree murder. Ottawa County isn't supposed to be holding maximum security prisoners. Remember this when you vote for Sheriff in Ottawa County. Keith Coleman needs to provide some answers to the people he is supposed to protect. sheriff@ottawacounty.org
pr
Wednesday 18 April 2012 09:32 Report this comment
getumgranny--ever heard the saying, "don't judge a book by its cover?" We aren't in high school anymore. Quit casting blame. Our community is in danger, and authorities are doing the best they can. This could have happened at any jail, and guards were hurt. Grow up.
t-bone
Wednesday 18 April 2012 09:33 Report this comment
This reminds me of an episode of the old Andy Griffith show. Too bad we can't get Goober, Gomer, and Barney to track em down. Sounds like you're stuck with Keith.
Kenny_Powers
Wednesday 18 April 2012 09:45 Report this comment
pr - You're right, it's unfortunate that guards got hurt, and I'm sure the authorities are doing all they can to get the prisoners back in jail. But, that doesn't change the fact that the staff is completely under-trained and incapable of handling maximum security prisoners. We never think something like this will happen in "our town", but once it does, thought needs to go into why it happened. Was it a fluke? No. Could it happen again? Yes, if some drastic changes aren't made, from the top down.
bjb
Wednesday 18 April 2012 09:52 Report this comment
I can't believe that some of you are shallow enough to be passing blame right now!!! This is a very serious situation that could have happened anywhere!!! People were hurt and an entire town is in danger now. Regardless of who is at fault we need to all stick together on things like this!!! Let's support the men who have been out there since 5am looking for these guys, instead of slanndering them like you all are! I for one know that being stuck in my house with my little boy is not what I had planned for the day, but I WILL NOT be placing blame on Keith or any of the others that might have been involved, I am thankful that they're out there doing everything possible! If any of you think that you could do better, please get out there and put your ass on the line to prove it!!!!
sw
Wednesday 18 April 2012 09:58 Report this comment
This might be a good time for some changes up at the Ottawa County Sheriff office I know its an election year. If we are going to house these inmates we need to have training or we need or we need to not house dangerous inmates. This is the time to make a statement and pay attention to what our canadates are waning to do.
Kenny_Powers
Wednesday 18 April 2012 10:03 Report this comment
I do not think I can do better, that's why I didn't run for Sheriff. I think everyone is thankful for the job that he has done, and we wish him well in his next endeavor. By the way, slander means making false statements. Nobody has said anything false in the comments so far.
t-bone
Wednesday 18 April 2012 10:09 Report this comment
Keith is a great guy. I worked with him at WesternStar, but bless his heart, law enforcement is not his forte. He never had any training of his own before he took office. How about bringing Ken out of retirement.
ttfndude
Wednesday 18 April 2012 10:25 Report this comment
Ken is not a good idea he was an as* and just as pitiful as this guy...but again we should focus on the job ahead first. Help these guys out by staying out of the way and call when you see something suspicious
t-bone
Wednesday 18 April 2012 10:38 Report this comment
Ken at least busted up numerous meth labs and put his life on the line to save others like rescueing a lady stuck in her car in a roaring flood area, what has Keith done? Has Keith received a presidential commendation or been on one of those propaganda tv shows,hmmmmm?
getumgranny
Wednesday 18 April 2012 11:37 Report this comment
pr: When I posted my comment, the information about these idiots had not been released yet, just they had escaped!! Well, as it turns out, in some cases, YES, You can judge some books by their covers!!! ttfndude is right, everyone needs to be very careful where they are going and what they are doing today until these guys are back behind bars. And, no, this most likely would not have happened at "any" jail. I am truly sorry for the injuries the guards sustained, and pr, I may point out a citizen was also injured, I hope they all make a speedy recovery. As to everyone blaming the Sheriff, I am not an Ottawa county resident, I would be interested in an explanation as to how this happened and why such High security prisoners were being housed in Ottawa county of all places!!!!
GETALIFE674
Wednesday 18 April 2012 12:33 Report this comment
I hope these punks headed to their home towns as their life expectancy around here is nil. we got loaded guns ready to shot to kill if we see any of them. That said what in the hell is a state prison transfering maximum security prisoners to a crap jail like in Minneapolis ks? Come on if I lived there the sherriff would be gone by sundown. For him to take prisoners of this type is unheard of especially for a Andy at Mayberry Jail. The prison authorities need to be held responsibile as well and old brownback better be starting an investigation immediately
minigun
Wednesday 18 April 2012 13:18 Report this comment
First off if KDOC was not confident in the staff and Keith to house these prisoners KDOC would not have sent them there. Keith has done fine as an Ottawa County Sheriff. Ken was the best sheriff Ottawa County has seen and probably will see. If you're going to b#?%* about who is in an elected position how about you run for office! This can happen in any jail setting..it just so happens it happened to Ottawa County. Dealing with these types of inmates is hard yes but whether someone is properly trained or not isn't going to stop three "hardened" criminals from getting what they want..freedom.
Kenny_Powers
Wednesday 18 April 2012 13:29 Report this comment
Minigun - Proper training and housing inmates in an appropriate level of security will keep this from happening. If not, we would have escapees getting out all the time. The fact is, these inmates needed to be in a maximum security facility. As for KDOC being confident in Keith Coleman and his staff, you are correct. They were. "Were" being the key word. And last but not least, just because you don't like what an elected official is doing, doesn't meant that you have to run against them. You simply need to exercise your right to vote.
Kenny_Powers
Wednesday 18 April 2012 13:36 Report this comment
I get it. There are a lot of people that like Keith Coleman as a person. In fact, most of the town has probably consumed an alcoholic beverage or two in his "bar" at his home(including me). That doesn't mean that when he screws up that he shouldn't be called out on it. I hope he does great in the remainder of his days, I just hope that those days aren't spent trying to protect me and the rest of the county. If your response is "let's see you try to do his job", just remember that I don't want to be an LEO. I am completely unqualified and would be horrible at the job. I don't want to be an LEO, I just want the people that do have the job to do it well.
THEENFORCER
Wednesday 18 April 2012 14:45 Report this comment
My question, is the Minneapolis jail rated a Maximum Security Facility? It does not matter a tinkers damn what the kdoc thinks in ellsworth but they have jepordize the people of Minneapolis and the surrounding area and these officials need to be dealth with severly. Your sheriff may be a nice guy but evidently from the posts he is but ill equipped to handle such prisioners. They had to make their weapons while they were in jail in Minneapolis therefore someone dropped the ball in letting them get this done. What is amazing 3 punks out smarted the whole sheriffs department there and probably between them have no more than an 8th grade education. It happened but people from KDOC and the Sheriff need to be held accountable for what has gone down.
lausch1973
Wednesday 18 April 2012 15:20 Report this comment
Maybe they should not house maximum security inmates in a lower security jail. Apparently Ottawa Jail isn't a place to house prison-mates...DUH!!!!
cowboygirl11
Wednesday 18 April 2012 16:33 Report this comment
has anyone heard an update on the escapes would be nice to know what is going on
jimdingo
Wednesday 18 April 2012 17:24 Report this comment
Ottawa County should have done better. Period. Housing half assed Dillinger types in Mayberry. Crap.
dragonbabe67
Wednesday 18 April 2012 18:30 Report this comment
Drew Wade has been captured in North Platte, Nebraska around 5:30p.m.!! Hopefully they'll soon get the other to low-lifes!
JMMcC
Wednesday 18 April 2012 18:52 Report this comment
Ellsworth is a medium security prison, With many minimum security inmates, Just because these guys have very serious crimes doesn't mean they were classified as maximum security prisoners. IDK nothing about the jail in Ottawa co. or the Sheriff there so I won't speak on those issues. I do hope they find these criminals fast and help keep our communities safe by learning from this very serious mistake.
Kenny_Powers
Wednesday 18 April 2012 19:32 Report this comment
JMMcC - While Ellsworth is only classified as medium security, they have experience in dealing with these types of criminals. The Ottawa Co. jail is just that, a county jail. The occasional DUI, or drug charge is the type that ar usually housed there (besides the contracted prisoners). On a side note, name a time when a double-murderer shouldn't be classified as maximum security? Sounds like a lot of blame to go around.
racinggirl914
Thursday 19 April 2012 10:37 Report this comment
Maybe some of you should read this instead of making accusations.. http://www.ksallink.com/?cmd=displaystory&story_id=21780&format=html Ottawa did pass the test to house prison inmates... Our sheriff doesn't have a say in who he gets at his jail they just send them there... So you might want to check your sources before you post false information. I just want to say THANK YOU to the Ottawa County Sheriff Department for keeping us all safe in Ottawa County THANK YOU AGAIN!!
Kenny_Powers
Thursday 19 April 2012 13:19 Report this comment
Wrong. Keith Coleman does have a say in which prisoners he houses. He can refuse any of the ones that he feels are too dangerous. And last but not least, you say they passed the test? The real test isn't when someone from the state comes to visit. The real test was yesterday. How did they do? If passing is letting a murderer go, then I guess they passed with flying colors.