HomeMy Public PortalAboutCrime: Jail EscapeTHE STAR -NEWS - THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 29, 1994
Inmate
escapes,
captured
An inmate at the Valley County
Jail escaped Friday afternoon after
scaling the fence of the jail's out-
door exercise area, the Valley
County Sheriff's Office said.
The inmate, Victor Joseph
Madrid, was captured later that
evening hitchhiking on Idaho 55
north of Cascade, according to a
sheriff's office spokesman.
Madrid, 30, is being . held on
$500,000 bond in the Valley County
Jail. He was arraigned Monday on
charges of escape and burglary stem-
ming from the Friday incident.
The escape was the first from the
exercise compound, which is lo-
cated behind the Valley County
Courthouse in Cascade. The com-
pound is enclosed by a tall chain -
link fence that is topped with barbed
wire.
Madrid was hired by the U.S.
Forest Service to work on the Thun-
derbolt Fire, and after a routine back-
ground check, officials discovered
he had outstanding felony warrants
in Washington for attempted aggra-
vated assault and attempted first de-
gree robbery.
He was booked into the Valley
County jail on Sept. 15, where he
was awaiting extradition procedures.
According to the sheriff s office,
while Madrid was in the exercise
area last Friday, the jailer left mo-
mentarily to return another inmate
to his cell, and Madrid made his
escape.
Madrid left his two-piece or-
ange jail suit outside the fence, and
presumably fled in his underwear.
He is suspected of then breaking
into a nearby home and stealing
clothes before fleeing the area.
Police officers from Valley
County, Idaho State Police, and Cas-
cade immediately combed the area,
but were unable to find Madrid.
A citizen later reported that a
man fitting his description was hitch-
hiking north of Cascade. Police
found Madrid near milepost 121,
and he attempted to run away from
officers, but surrendered after a short
chase, a sheriff s spokesman said.
4,Y►) 9/2-Wfr
Jail escapee recaptured after six hours of freedom
CASCADE — A 30-year-old Boise man
who escaped at about 2:55 p.m. Friday was
recaptured at about 8:45 p.m. Friday while
hitchhiking on Idaho Highway 55 about 4 miles
north of Cascade.
Victor Joseph Madrid had escaped by scal-
ing the 20-foot-high chain link fence sur-
rounding the exercise yard behind the jail while
a supervising jailor had taken another prison-
er inside. The jailor was inside for less than a
minute, according to the Valley County Sheriff s
Department.
Madrid had been arrested Sept. 15 at the
Thunderbolt Fire Camp east of Cascade where
he was part of a fire crew made up of indigent
and homeless workers from Boise. He was
originally arrested following a routine back-
ground check that was done by Forest Service
law enforcement officers.
He was arrested when that check revealed
he had an outstanding warrant for his arrest
from the state of Washington for aggravated
assault and robbery.
Madrid was arraigned in Fourth District
Court Monday on charges of escape and bur-
glary. The burglary charge relates to Madrid's
alleged breaking in of a residence from which
he is alleged to have stolen a pair of blue jeans
tscapee from page 1
shortly after the escape.
Madrid was arrested by Sheriff s
Deputy Scott Denning after he was
spotted by ISP Officer Jim Eavenson
hitchhiking north on Idaho 55 on
the north side of Little Donner sum-
mit.
The escape from the jail is the
first since the fenced -in exercise
yard was constmcted two years ago.
As a result of the escape, the jail
was locked -down, and exercise priv-
ileges were suspended pending com-
pletion of an investigation into the
matter. The lock -down was eased
somewhat Monday evening with
prisoners regaining some of their
recreational privileges.
Valley County Sheriff Lewis
Pratt was out of town this week and
Couldn't be reached for comment
on the escape.
and work boots.
Following his escape, Cascade Police, Valley
County Sheriff's Deputies and Idaho State
Police engaged in a manhunt that had them
scouring the City of Cascade. Officers were
seen searching sheds, garages and outbuild-
ings of homes in the vicinity of the jail.
In addition, an airplane from Arnold Aviation
was used to help with an aerial search of the
area. Authorities also thought Madrid might
have boarded one of two buses carrying fire-
fighters to Boise that was seen leaving Cascade
See Escapee on back page
jail escapee pleads guilty, sentenced to 1 to 5 years
instate penitentiary
Policies on county jail operations changed as result of escape
CASCADE — A Boise man
who escaped the Valley County
Jail Sept. 23 and recaptured later
that same day, pleaded guilty to
escape and was sentenced to at
least one year in the Idaho State
Penitentiary.
Victor Joseph Madrid, 30, of
Boise escaped from Valley County
Jail by scaling a 20-foot-high chain
link fence surrounding the exer-
cise yard behind the jail on Sept.
23. Madrid was later captured when
found hitchhiking on Idaho
Highway 55 four miles north of
Cascade.
In Fourth District Court Sept.
30, Madrid pleaded guilty to an
escape charge and waived his right
to preliminary and pretrial pro-
ceedings. Madrid was originally
charged with burglary and escape,
after allegedly breaking into a res-
idence and stealing a pair of blue
jeans and work boots. However,
the burglary charge was dropped.
Valley County Sheriff Lewis
Pratt said Friday that an investi-
gation was continuing into the pos-
sibility that Madrid may have been
aided by another inmate of the jail.
That assistance may have been
in acquiring a pair of blue jeans
that Madrid was wearing when he
was re -captured, Pratt said. Law
enforcement officers originally
thought Madrid had broken into a
house near the jail and taken a pair
of jeans.
However, he said it was later
determined that Madrid was wear-
ing the blue jeans under his orange
jail pants as he made his escape.
Investigators are trying to deter-
mine if the jeans may have been
made available to Madrid by anoth-
er inmate who had access to civil-
ian clothing stored in the jail, Pratt
said.
Sheriff's department officers
have also determined that an inmate
who became ill in the exercise yard
and was escorted inside by the lone
jailor on duty in the yard — which
provided Madrid the few moments
he needed to scale the 20-foot high
chain link fence surrounding the
exercise yard — was not part of
an escape plan.
The incident has also brought
about a change in policy at the jail,
he said. Should an inmate become
ill while in the yard in the future,
Pratt said all inmates would be
brought back into the jail.
Pratt said the escape demon-
strates the changing nature of the
inmates serving time in the coun-
ty jail.
He said that at present, about
90 percent of the inmates serving
time in the jail are felons who have
served time previously and are
"con -wise,"
"They know the ropes," he said.
"It's not like the good old days."
Such an escape will be very
improbable once the new county
jail is built, he said. That because
the exercise yard will be constructed
of concrete blocks to a height of
16 feet, and then the top yard will
be covered with a chain link fence.
That will provide for a secure area,
but will also allow fresh air to cir-
culate through the yard.
The whole issue has put more
strain on the jail staff, he said,
which now has to be even more
concerned with security of the pris-
oners.
District Court Judge George D.
Carey sentenced Madrid to one to
five years in the Idaho State
Penitentiary on the escape charge.
According to Valley County
Prosecutor Larry Schoenhut, the
case was unique in that the man
was sentenced and in the state pen-
itentiary by nightfall, that due to
having Judge Carey in town that
day.
Madrid had been initially arrest-
ed on Sept. 15 at the Thunderbolt
Fire Camp east of Cascade where
he was part of a fire crew made
up of indigent and homeless work-
ers from Boise. The arrest came
as a result of a routine background
check done by the Forest Service.
That check revealed the existence
of an outstanding warrant for
Madrid's arrest from the state of
Washington for aggravated assault
and robbery.
After his escape, Cascade Police,
Valley County Sheriff's Deputies,
and Idaho State Police engaged in
a manhunt throughout Cascade,
including an aerial search of the
surrounding area.
Madrid was arrested by Sheriff's
Deputy Scott Denning after he was
spotted by ISP Officer Jim
Eavenson while hitchhiking.
The escape from Valley County
Jail is the first since the fenced -in
exercise yard was constructed two
years ago.
'17 P SY'a r /1(S -
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Valley jail escapee
given prison term
A Boise man has been sentenced
to prison for escaping from the Valley
County Jail on Sept. 23.
Victor Joseph Madrid, 30, of Boise,
was recently sentenced to five years
in the state penitentiary with at least
18 months fixed as a result of his
escape from the jail.
Madrid escaped the jail by scaling
a 20-foot chain link fence while the
jailor was escorting an ill prisoner
back to his cell. Madrid was captured
that same day on Idaho 55 while hitch-
hiking four miles north of Cascade.
He was also charged with burglary
after being suspected of breaking into
a nearby residence and stealing a pair
of pants and boots, but those charges
were dropped.
Madrid waived his rights to pre-
liminary and pretrial proceedings. He
pled guilty and was immediately sen-
tenced.
Police believe Madrid may have
been aided by another inmate after it
was discovered he was wearing jeans
under his orange jail pants when he
escaped.
The Valley County Sheriff s Of-
fice has since changed its policy where
all prisoners must return to their cells
in the case of an inmate becoming ill
while in the exercise yard.
The escape was the first since the
yard was built two years ago.
Madrid was originally arrested af-
ter being hired to work the Thunder-
bolt Fire on a fire crew made up of
indigent and homeless workers from
Boise.
Forest service officials ran a rou-
tine background check on Madrid and
discovered he had outstanding war-
rants for aggravated assault and rob-
bery from Washington.
In other court news, Jason Moore,
21, McCall, pleaded guilty to a mis-
demeanor charge of possession of drug
paraphernalia. He was fined $300 and
$51.50 court costs.
He was sentenced to 60 days in
jail, which were suspended. He also
received 100 hours community ser-
vice and one year probation. Moore
was arrested last July and charged
with four counts of delivery of meth -
amphetamine.
William P. Weed, 38, of McCall,
who was arrested in the same drug
sweep that netted Moore, pleaded
guilty to a misdemeanor charge of
frequenting a place where controlled
substances are known to be located.
Weed was fined $51.50 for court
costs, ordered to reimburse the county
$200 for a public defender and $500
to the drug enforcement fund. He was
sentenced to 36 days in jail with 30
suspended and credit for one day
served, and one year probation.
Weed also was ordered to attend
two Alcoholic Anonymous or Nar-
cotics Anonymous meetings per week
and show the court compliance.
Weed was originally charged with
delivery of a controlled substance.
The guilty plea to a lesser charge was
part of a plea-bargain arrangement,
according to the Valley County
Prosecutor's Office.
Star -News News Main News Page Page 1 of 1
Police capture McCall man wanted for probation violation
A McCall man was arrested on Friday after being sought as a fugitive.
Jason Larsen was arrested at a camp trailer parked on Lick Creek Road by the McCall Police
Department on a felony warrant for violating his probation for drunken driving.
Larsen, 34, was confronted twice this month by officers, but fled each time, prompting police to issue a
pubic advisory.
On Friday, a neighbor called police about 5:30 p.m. to report the camp trailer parked in front of a home
at 613 Lick Creek Rd., Sgt. Pete Rittenger said.
The neighbor had called the owner of the property, who said there should not be anyone on the
property.
When officers approached the trailer, they found two small girls inside who refused to come out,
Rittenger said.
Concerned for their safety, the officers prepared to break down the door when Larsen announced he
was in the trailer and came out.
He was arrested and taken to the Valley County Jail. The two girls, who ages were unknown, where
returned to their mother, Rittenger said. It was not known if Larsen is related to the children, he said.
http://www.mccallstarnews.com/pages/fp_stories_page.php 7/30/2015