A man suspected of having committed qualified homicide escaped from a psychiatric hospital in the city of Salem, in the state of Oregon, in the United States, while he was handcuffed on his arms, legs and stomach. However, he was taken back into custody after an unusual rescue, authorities announced on Friday.
Christopher Lee Pray, 39, was in custody and a patient at Oregon State Hospital in Salem before he fled on Wednesday, according to Oregon State Police.
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Emergency crews received a call on Friday morning about a possible dead body in a lake, but instead found a man trapped in mud up to his armpits, about 25 meters from firm ground, according to a report. police statement.
The Portland Fire Department said the man was trapped for about 12 hours in the muddy waters in the northern part of the city, near the Washington state line.
They performed an operation with ropes and ladders and freed the man after about an hour. The suspect was then taken to a local hospital to be evaluated.
“The patient provided a false name, but an attentive hospital staff member noticed that he resembled Christopher Pray,” the police statement said. “Hospital staff notified the Portland Police Department, who responded and confirmed his identity,” they added.
The hospital in Portland is nearly an hour north of the facility where Pray escaped on Wednesday. The escape is still under investigation and police plan to release more details next week.
Authorities stated that he managed to escape custody while fully restrained and fled the premises in a Dodge minivan.
Police were notified that Pray escaped on Wednesday night at 10:45 pm local time, according to a statement.
“At the time of his escape, he was fully restrained with leg cuffs, a belly chain, hand cuffs and a restraint connecting the three,” police said.
“He was wearing a white T-shirt, brown sweatpants and black rubber slippers,” he added.
Christopher Lee Pray, who is considered extremely dangerous, was in custody at the Multnomah County Jail on several serious charges, including attempted murder, and was transferred to the hospital on Wednesday.
He is believed to have escaped after stealing a white 2016 Dodge Caravan and fleeing after a police chase, authorities said.
Police noted that he “fled law enforcement south on Interstate 5. Law enforcement [autoridade] ended the pursuit due to safety concerns and Pray was not apprehended.”
Source: CNN Brasil
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