The second of two men who escaped a Philadelphia jail last week has been captured, police say
By Danny Freeman
(CNN) — The second of the two men who escaped from a Philadelphia jail last week was captured Wednesday, and at least three people have now been charged with their escape, according to authorities.
Ameen Hurst, 18, was taken into custody without incident in southwest Philadelphia, the city’s police commissioner, Danielle Outlaw, said in a tweet. He was stopped by US marshals Wednesday morning after getting into a vehicle with his mother and brother, and marshals arrested his brother, according to authorities. The brother’s charges have not been made public yet.
“I’m very relieved and grateful that this incident has reached resolution,” said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney in brief remarks.
Hurst was being held on charges related to four homicides dating back to Christmas 2020.
Hurst and Nasir Grant, 24, escaped the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Facility through a hole in a recreation yard fence that had been “deliberately cut” on May 7, according to the Philadelphia Department of Prisons. The men had been missing for nearly a full day before the facility’s staff noticed.
The US Marshals and the Philadelphia Police Department described the men as “armed and dangerous” and launched a manhunt for their whereabouts.
Grant, who had been in custody on narcotics and gun violations, was captured last week by the US Marshals Service in the Strawberry Mansion neighborhood of Philadelphia.
Three people, including another inmate, have now been charged in connection with the escape.
Michael Abrams, 21, was arrested by federal authorities in a hotel in Berwyn, Pennsylvania, on Monday afternoon and faces charges of escape, criminal use of communications facility, criminal conspiracy and hindering apprehension, the Philadelphia District Attorney’s office said.
Police said Abrams “assisted Hurst in leaving the area” but did not provide more details.
His bail was set at $1 million and he has a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 24, the office said. CNN has attempted to reach an attorney representing Abrams.
Last week, Philadelphia police arrested and charged Xianni Stalling and Jose Flores-Huerta for their alleged roles in helping Grant and Hurst escape custody.
Stalling was arrested after “ordering transportation that moved them away from the prison,” Deputy Police Commissioner Frank Vanore said Wednesday. She was charged with criminal conspiracy, escape, hindering apprehension and criminal use of a communication facility, according to court records. A public defender for Stalling declined to comment.
Flores-Huerta, an inmate at the correctional center awaiting trial on murder and other charges, “acted as a lookout and he moved (the escapees) and helped them elude guards and leave the building,” Vanore said. He is accused of escape and criminal conspiracy, police said. An attorney for Flores-Huerta did not respond to a request for comment.
The Philadelphia Police Department’s Office of Professional Compliance said in a statement it is “actively investigating” the escape, including reviewing security tapes and staffing assignments around the time of the jailbreak. Investigators are also examining phone calls made by Grant and Hurst prior to their escape from the 1,210-capacity, 56-bed facility.
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CNN’s Laura Ly and Eric Levenson contributed to this report.
