A man incarcerated at the Riverside Correctional Facility escaped custody on Thursday, city officials announced.
Gino Hagenkotter, 34, was completing an outside work assignment in the orchard on the grounds of the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Facility at 8301 State Rd. when he fled. He escaped around noon, and by 12:20 p.m., all Philadelphia prison facilities had been placed in lockdown, officials said.
According to prison officials, Hagenkotter had asked a guard to use the bathroom. After a few minutes, the guard checked on Hagenkotter and realized he had fled. The guard then alerted authorities.
Visits to all city prisons have been discontinued while Hagenkotter remains at large. Philadelphia police are investigating.
Hagenkotter was serving time for theft and drug possession charges and was in minimum custody at the time of his escape. While he was initially incarcerated in Bucks County Prison, he was confined to Riverside, at 8151 State Road., as of April.
The escape is the latest in a string of high-profile jailbreaks in the region. Ameen Hurst, who had been charged with multiple counts of murder, and Nasir Grant, held on weapons and drug charges, fled the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Facility in May, slipping through a fence while a guard slept. Both men were apprehended after a 10-day manhunt.
The manhunt for Danelo Cavalcante, who escaped Chester County Prison in August, was even longer. The convicted murderer led authorities on a chase for nearly two weeks before he was caught in South Coventry Township in September.
Officials say anyone who sees Hagenkotter should refrain from approaching and call the police. Hagenkotter is a white man with brown eyes and partially gray hair who was last seen in a white T-shirt and dark pants.
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