San Diego
A San Diego man escaped from the County Jail in downtown San Diego Thursday afternoon by posing as another inmate who was to be set free.
James Lee Messerschmidt, 36, of the 3800 block of Brems Street, used another inmate’s wristband and answered questions that led jail officials to believe he was in the jail temporarily on a misdemeanor charge, said Sgt. M’Liss Hinshaw.
Immediately after Messerschmidt’s escape about 3:30, officials realized they had let out the wrong man.
Messerschmidt, a parole violator, had been taken to the jail Wednesday night on suspicion of being under the influence of drugs and possessing drug paraphernalia.
Messerschmidt was pre-booked when he entered the jail Wednesday night, but managed to avoid the complete booking process because he was in a holding tank all night.
Messerschmidt is white, 5-foot-11 and weighs about 215 pounds. He has blond hair, blue eyes, a red beard and a mustache. The escaped inmate was wearing eyeglasses, a black baseball cap, an orange long-sleeved shirt, blue jeans and tennis shoes, Hinshaw said.
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