More Inmates Mistakenly Freed at Jail

Two more inmates were mistakenly released from Los Angeles County Jail late Thursday, bringing the total to four prisoners set free this week because of clerical errors in the overburdened document control room, officials said Friday.

The two prisoners--who have been recaptured--were an aggravated assault suspect and a man charged with possession of drugs.

“It’s been a tough week,” said Sheriff’s Department Chief Barry King.

In the wake of the problems, officials said Friday that they have reassigned a captain and a lieutenant in charge of the jail’s Inmate Reception Center--where 2,000 prisoners are processed each day.

The change will make way for two new managers who sheriff’s officials hope will bring “a new perspective” on ways to fix the jail’s antiquated inmate tracking system.

“We are promoting a variety of command personnel,” said King, one of two chiefs who oversee the county’s jails. “We do it periodically. . . . This way we will have new eyes looking at the system.”

Starting next week, Capt. David Betkey--who has spent the last several months studying the paperwork problems in the document center--will take over the command from Capt. Earnest Maldonado.

Assisting Betkey will be Lt. Rick Adams, who replaces Lt. George Sennatt. Maldonado has been assigned to the Peter J. Pitchess Detention Center, and Sennatt will be working at the department’s training academy.

The changes come at a time when the Sheriff’s Department is under orders from the County Board of Supervisors to clean up its troubled tracking system.

On Friday, Supervisor Mike Antonovich said he was disappointed to learn of the mistaken releases this week, which bring the total to 42 since the start of 1995.

Among the inmates still at large are four homicide suspects.

“The sheriff needs to immediately move the inmate tracking system up to the top of the list of priorities,” Antonovich said.

So far, the department has put in place some quick fixes to stem the erroneous releases, including hiring more clerks to handle the more than 6,000 pieces of paper that are sorted by hand each night. A long-term solution--such as linking jail computers with those in the court system--is still years away, officials said.

On Friday, sheriff’s officials disclosed that they had erroneously freed inmate Tony Baines, 19, who was being held on an aggravated assault charge.

He was rearrested at his home in Los Angeles. Also freed was Samuel Streeter, 35, who was being held for possession of narcotics. He was later arrested in Alhambra.

Earlier this week, clerks’ errors led to the releases of a convicted burglar awaiting extradition on a rape charge and a man being held on suspicion of brandishing a fake gun.

Although the rape suspect has been rearrested, Lyford J. Perry--who was facing a misdemeanor gun charge--remained at large Friday.