Gino Hagenkotter: US Marshals join search for Philadelphia prison escapee as manhunt intensifies
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA: Gino Hagenkotter, 34, an inmate at the Riverside Correctional Facility, escaped from the prison in the late morning of November 30, tweeted the US Marshals Service Philadephia.
Search for the escapee, who was described in the tweet as 5 feet 6 inches tall and weighing 140 pounds, with "brown eyes and grey hair," is currently underway in the Holmesburg section of Philadelphia, according to CBS News.
He was last seen on surveillance video in the neighborhood in the afternoon of the day of his escape, wearing a short-sleeved white t-shirt, dark blue pants, and black boots.
@USMS_Philly is seeking the public's assistance in apprehending Gino Hagenkotter, 34. Hagenkotter escaped from a Philadelphia prison late this morning. He is 5'06", 140 pds, brown eyes and grey hair. Tips can be called in at 1-866-865-TIPS(8477) or at https://t.co/bKgFRjtQHc pic.twitter.com/fO6NfYknxh
— U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia (@USMS_Philly) December 1, 2023
Originally incarcerated for retail theft and burglary, Hagenkotter will now be facing much more serious charges, reported ABC6.
How did Gino Hagenkotter escape?
Blanche Carney, the Commissioner of the Philadelphia Department of Prisons, said in a press conference that the inmate escaped while working on a detail assignment in the orchard on prison property as part of a good behavior program.
Hagenkotter took a prison guard's permission to use the restroom, but the guard soon realized that the inmate was taking too long to return. Upon checking the area of the bathroom and finding him missing, the guard alerted other authorities at 12.05 pm.
Carney later added that Hagenkotter was caught by the surveillance cameras climbing over a prison fence away from the complex through the sanitation yard at 11.48 am. He dropped his orange jumpsuit before taking off.
"In this case, you gave an individual an opportunity, and he took it," she said.
While officials mentioned that Hagenkotter does not have "any dangerous history," people are warned not to approach him if sighted and to contact law enforcement.
Gino Hagenkotter's incarceration was extended
Officials stated that Hagenkotter met the criteria to have an outside work assignment. He was supposed to be released into a transitional program on the day of his escape.
However, the inmate found out that his incarceration would be extended until April due to an unresolved matter in Bucks County. According to Commissioner Carney, not being released on the day may have motivated Hagenkotter to escape.
For information on Gino Hagenkotter, the police are urging people to contact the tip line at 215-686-TIPS.
