TDCJ Inmate excapes Galveston

[old farmer]

I have not seen this posted any where. http://www.khou.com/news/local/stories/ ... 35555.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I live on the island, He is still out of jail.

[seamusTX]

Here's a story with a photo of the escapee: http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewc ... 8e4c32d6ba" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;



The photo on the right shows his recent injuries.

He's 21 years old, serving a 35-year sentence for seven counts of burglary and one count of aggravated assault. He has escaped twice previously.

I warned my family to be careful, but a guy who looks like that would set off almost anyone's alarms.

I wonder what he's going to do with no money or ID. The money situation could be improved with a little purse-snatching. Maybe call his girlfriend?

- Jim

[joe817]

Why wasn't this guy in Huntsville? Or does Galveston have a prison?

(P.S. this should have been posted in the Off-Topic Forum)

[seamusTX]

He was beat up in prison and sent to the TDCJ hospital in Galveston. It's part of UTMB.

I can't account for the forum.

- Jim

[USCGELECTROTECH]

My wife works at UTMB and was a little freaked out about it.

[joe817]

I just learned something Jim, thanks.

I imagine your wife WAS a little freaked about it USCGELECTROTECH. I would be too if I lived in Galveston.

I wonder if gun sales and ammo sales are peaking right about now because of it?

[seamusTX]

II wonder if gun sales and ammo sales are peaking right about now because of it?

I doubt it.

Most people who really want a weapon already have one, and those who don't are oblivious to this kind of news.

- Jim

[seamusTX]

Well, I don't have much imagination.

The escaped prisoner is now thought to be in Dallas, after reportedly stealing a car in Galveston.

http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewc ... 381b1bbafe" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Prison hospital security to be reviewed (ya think?):

http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewc ... 6a8a54f2b0" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[Beiruty]

now he is in Dallas. I would bump my threat level awareness a notch. Now condition Yellow!

[Y2bad4u]

I don't really get how he escaped. I have been to that prison dozens of times and it's not like a traditional prison. There's limited ways out. Someone really dropped the ball. Glad I dont work for TDCJ anymore.

[seamusTX]

The escapee "kicked through the drywall fortifying his seventh-floor cell at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice medical center at the University of Texas Medical Branch. He then broke a window and rappelled, using bedsheets, three or four stories to a nearby roof, prison officials said."

http://www.galvnews.com/story.lasso?ewc ... 3d18786295" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

He is suspected of stealing a car in Galveston, driving to Dallas, and committing a home invasion robber and car theft there. He is still at large.

- Jim

[ELB]

The escapee "kicked through the drywall fortifying his seventh-floor cell ..."

Heh. Either the TDCJ or the reporter doesn't know squat about drywall if they think it fortifies anything. It's good for slowing down fire for a couple minutes, and holds up paint so it doesn't puddle on the floor, but 'fortifying'?

[Commander Cody]

He is caught.

[seamusTX]

I assume that the TDCJ approved the construction of their facility. Probably they thought the elevation would help prevent escape. Somebody needs to go back to the proverbial drawing board.

Given that this guy escaped twice before, I am surprised he was not shackled to the bed. I have read about much lower-risk prisoners being shackled that way.

I wonder what his total sentence will be.

- Jim

[dwmathews]

Escaped inmate captured

By T.J. Aulds
The Daily News
Published September 23, 2009

Joshua Duane Barnes, who escaped from the state prison hospital at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston over the weekend, was captured this morning in Irving, a Texas Department of Criminal Justice spokeswoman said.

Irving police took Barnes, 21, into custody after he barricaded himself in an abandoned home, state prison spokeswoman Michelle Lyons said.

At about 9:30 a.m. today Irving police received a phone call about a suspicious person in a park. When officers approached the man he took off on foot and locked himself in a nearby house.

Police coaxed Barnes out of the house 30 minutes later and he was taken into custody. Lyons said he would be taken to a prison near Huntsville later today.

Barnes, who is serving a 35-year sentence for seven burglaries, aggravated assault and two previous escape charges, faces an additional felony escape charge.

Barnes, who has a history of escapes, kicked through the drywall of his seventh-floor cell at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice medical center at the University of Texas Medical Branch Saturday night. He then broke a window and rappelled, using bedsheets, three or four stories to a nearby roof, prison officials said.

A guard last saw Barnes at 8:15 p.m. Saturday and noticed he was gone 35 minutes later. His whereabouts after that were unknown until Monday, when he was spotted in Dallas.

Galveston police suspect that Barnes remained in Galveston for a day or more before be broke into a house and stole a car.

A resident in the 1000 block of Harborview Drive, 1.2 miles from the hospital, reported his house was burglarized between 7:30 p.m. Sunday and 7:30 a.m. Monday, Galveston police said. The homeowner wasn’t home at the time of the break-in.

Someone broke in through a window, took an extra set of keys to a 2008 Hyundai Sonata and took the car, Lt. D.J. Alvarez said.

A knife, scissors and 62 $5 gift certificates from Subway restaurants also were missing, according to the police report.

The car stolen from Galveston was found in Dallas, where police are confident it was the car Barnes used to make his getaway from the island, Dallas police spokesman Senior Cpl. Kevin Jansee said.

A man matching Barnes’ description was seen Monday afternoon in the southwest Dallas neighborhood of Oak Cliff, Jansee said.

The man entered a woman’s unlocked home and, after threatening to kill her, stole an undisclosed amount of cash, some clothing and her Chrysler P.T. Cruiser, Dallas police reported.

Barnes made two high-profile escape attempts in 2008.

In June of that year, he escaped from the Potter County Courthouse.

He just walked out of the courtroom, but was captured four days later in an Amarillo motel room.

Four months later, Barnes escaped from the Potter County Detention Center in Amarillo.

Again, he was missing for four days before he was found in an Amarillo motel room with his girlfriend.

He was transferred to the state prison system in January.