Security lapse blamed for inmate’s escape from Twin Towers
A security lapse at the Twin Towers Correctional Facility in downtown Los Angeles that helped allow an inmate to escape earlier this week has been rectified, sheriff’s officials say.
The inmate, 37-year-old Christopher Lee Brown, remained at large Friday after he walked out of the inmate release area about 10 p.m. Wednesday. He had been sentenced earlier in the day to four years, eight months in jail after being convicted of burglary and identity theft.
Authorities said they believe Brown impersonated another inmate as part of his effort to escape. He was discovered missing during an inmate count that night.
“As a result of the inmate’s actions, and that it appears that mandated security practices may not have been followed, the inmate was able to escape through the jail Inmate Reception Center release area door,” said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Capt. Mike Parker.
Without elaborating on what those security practices were, Parker said in a statement that the apparent lapses had been identified and “immediately remedied.”
Finding Brown may prove elusive. Authorities say he lives a transient lifestyle with no known address. He also has multiple arrests for theft and an arrest and conviction for assault with a deadly weapon in the San Luis Obispo area nearly two decades ago.
In 2007, he was also arrested for assault in the Santa Barbara area.
Anyone who sees Brown or knows his whereabouts was urged to contact authorities.
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