Authorities in Pennsylvania are trying to track down two men who escaped from a Philadelphia jail.
Ameen Hurst, 18, is accused of killing four people in separate incidents dating back to 2020. Police believe he and Nasir Grant, 24, who was in jail on drug charges, escaped through a hole in fencing at the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center on Sunday.
The escape went unnoticed for about 19 hours. Authorities said three different head counts showed that all the prisoners were accounted for.
"Clearly the system screwed up and people didn't do what they were supposed to do," said Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney.
DOJ allowing thousands of inmates to remain at home
Although the COVID-19 emergency is set to end next month, thousands of inmates can remain on house arrest.
Philadelphia Prisons Commissioner Blanche Carney said actions are being taken to make sure this doesn't happen again. Carney added that jail officials are going through surveillance video to find out when the hole in the fencing was cut and why the breach wasn't detected immediately.
"As part of our investigation, I have reached out to the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections to conduct a facility vulnerability assessment as soon as possible," Carney said.
Hurst had been in jail since 2021. He is accused of killing a man in 2020 on Christmas Eve.
Philadelphia Police Deputy Commissioner Frank Vanore said Hurst committed three more murders in March 2021.
There is a $20,000 reward for information leading to each suspect's arrest.
