Murder Suspect Let Go in Error

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday was searching for a double murder suspect who was erroneously released from custody.

Sheriff’s officials said they mistakenly released Ricardo Cruz--who was being held in connection with the slaying of two men in Rancho Dominguez--from the Twin Towers jail Wednesday.

“A miscommunication by several bailiffs, coupled with antiquated paperwork procedures, caused deputies to process Cruz for release,” said Lt. Doyle Campbell, a department spokesman. Campbell said Cruz, 21, appeared in court in Compton on Tuesday, where county prosecutors asked the judge to dismiss the murder charges against him so they could refile the case in Lynwood.

Courthouse deputies were supposed to transfer Cruz to the municipal courthouse in Lynwood for a new arraignment, but that didn’t happen, Campbell said.

“Instead he was transported back to Twin Towers where he was ordered released,” he said. “It’s a matter of one error leading to another error leading to another error. It’s a bad situation.”

The mistake is indicative of the problems facing the county’s massive jail system, which houses 200,000 inmates each year. Although progress is being made to automate the jail’s inmate tracking system, the process is still paper-driven, leading to a variety of errors.

Each year, hundreds of inmates are held in jail too long because clerks cannot process their release orders fast enough. Meanwhile, a few inmates are mistakenly let go because of mix-ups.

Since 1995, six homicide suspects have been erroneously freed from county jail. Three remain at large.

Campbell said Cruz was arrested in November 1998 after he allegedly shot two men in a fight. Sheriff’s officials said the department’s fugitive bureau is seeking him.

In February, another paperwork error caused authorities to mistakenly release Salvador Gomez, who was arrested in connection with the largest cocaine seizure in Long Beach history.

LAPD officials said Gomez was released from Parker Center Video Arraignment Court because paperwork showing cause to hold him was not brought with him to court.