May 13, 2023
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Philadelphia police say Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center inmate Jose Alberto Flores-Huerta allegedly helped two men, Ameen Hurst and Nasir Grant, escape the jail in Northeast Philadelphia on Sunday, May 7.
A 35-year-old man who is in prison for allegedly taking part in a fatal beating outside of Pat's Steaks in 2021 is facing new charges for helping two inmates escape the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center last Sunday, police say.
Jose Alberto Flores-Huerta was in jail for murder in the death of Isidro Cortez of Queens. The fatal beating occurred around 2 a.m. in September 2021 after an argument turned violent. Cortez died at the scene. His father, 64, and another man, 28, were also injured in the attack.
Flores-Huerta will be charged with conspiracy and escape after he supposedly was a lookout aiding Ameen Hurst and Nasir Grant's break out of jail, 6ABC reported.
Grant, 24, and Hurst, 18, escaped from the jail on Sunday, May 7, around 8:30 p.m. Sunday after cutting a hole in a fence. The men went unaccounted for 20 hours before their absence was realized during a 3 p.m. prisoner headcount at 3 p.m. Monday. The two men were in the same prison unit but were not cellmates, police said.
Grant was awaiting trial for drug and gun charges.
Thursday, Grant was taken into custody by U.S. Marshals. Agents received intel that Grant may be trying to hide his identity in the area, Deputy U.S. Marshal Robert Clark said via the Inquirer. A person was noticed leaving a house and getting into a vehicle dressed in Muslim clothing and a head covering to hide their face, Clark said.
Marshals stopped a car on the 2800 block of West Dauphin Street in North Philadelphia around 10:20 p.m. Grant was found in the passenger seat and taken into custody without incident; the driver was questioned by allowed to leave the scene, multiple media reports said.
Hurst, who is still at large, was charged with four homicides that occurred in the city over the last three years. He is accused of carrying out a quadruple shooting in West Philly in March 2021, which killed two people and then, days later, killed a man just released from prison. He also allegedly committed a homicide on Christmas Eve in 2020.
Also on Thursday, police said Xianni Stalling, 21, allegedly helped the two men escape the prison. She allegedly received a call from one of them before they both broke free, police said. She has been charged with conspiracy and hindering apprehension.
Stalling had been jailed at the facility for an attempted murder charge earlier this year but was released in February, according to 6ABC.
There is a $25,000 reward being offered by the city and the U.S. Marshals for information leading to Hurst's arrest. He is considered dangerous. Anyone with information on their whereabouts can call the Northeast Detectives at (215) 686-3153, the police tip line at (215) 546-TIPS, or 911.
