A prisoner has been caught after he was able to escape Westchester County Department of Correction custody early Sunday morning at St. Joseph's Medical Center, prompting a search that was still active as of Sunday night.
Yonkers police say 24-year-old Geraldo Rojas-Allen was arrested on Friday morning for a robbery. An ensuing investigation tied him to two other robberies earlier in the month.
Before he could be brought to court, Yonkers police say he was brought to St. Joseph’s Medical Center for a medical evaluation. He was arraigned Saturday afternoon and remanded to the county jail, but he was not medically released yet.
Rojas-Allen was transferred to the custody of the Westchester County Department of Correction Saturday around 6 p.m. It was early Sunday morning when he managed to escape.
Once Rojas-Allen was discovered missing, St. Joseph's Medical Center went into lockdown as authorities searched for him, but to no avail.
The manhunt is a joint effort by Yonkers police, the Westchester County Department of Correction, and the Department of Public Safety.
Rojas-Allen is described as having black hair, brown eyes and a tattoo on his right arm with the name "Mary." He was wearing a black sweatshirt, blue jeans and white sneakers at the time of his escape.
Yonkers police are urging anyone with information on Rojas-Allen’s whereabouts to call 911, contact the Yonkers Police Department at 914-377-7900 or submit an anonymous tip by texting keyword "YPD" and your tip to CRIMES (274637). Anonymous tips can also be made via the Yonkers police website.
The county says it is reviewing “to understand the circumstances that led to the escape.” The officers involved have been suspended from duty, and “will also face internal disciplinary charges.”
Rojas-Allen's last known address is in Yonkers.
Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story said Rojas-Allen was in Yonkers police custody. The prisoner was in Westchester County Department of Correction custody at the time of his escape.
