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Authorities have caught a prisoner who escaped custody while he was being held at a medical center in Westchester.
The prisoner, identified as 24-year-old Geraldo Rojas, was located in the Bronx on Monday, July 24 after 29 hours of "intensive search efforts," Yonkers Police announced
Rojas had escaped from a prisoner detail at St. Joseph’s Hospital on South Broadway (Route 9) in Yonkers during the early morning hours of Sunday, July 23, police said.
Rojas, who was taken back into custody with no incident, was located by Yonkers detectives assigned to the department's Major Case Squad and Field Intelligence Division as well as officers with the FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force.
Rojas had originally been arrested on Friday, July 21 on charges related to numerous robberies in Yonkers. The next day, before he could appear in court, he suffered a medical event that required authorities to take him to St. Joseph's.
During his time in the hospital, he was arraigned by a judge in the early afternoon hours of Saturday, July 22, and remanded to Westchester County Jail. However, since he could not be taken to jail because he had not yet been medically discharged from the hospital, custody of Rojas was transferred to the Westchester County Department of Correction.
Correction officers then began assuming prisoner watch of Rojas beginning around 6 p.m. on Saturday. Later in the night, around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday, Rojas managed to escape from the correction officers watching him.
After his escape, Yonkers Major Case Detectives and officers began going over hours of surveillance footage around the city to track Rojas' escape route.
Following his recapture, Rojas is now being held in the City of Yonkers Jail and will soon be taken to the Westchester County Jail.
Yonkers city officials complimented the investigators who were able to locate Rojas.
"The apprehension of this felon speaks to the great Police work and collaboration among our Yonkers Police Detective Division and FBI," said Yonkers Mayor Mike Spano, who also added, "In just 29 hours, this individual is off the streets and in custody, ensuring the safety of our residents. Congratulations on a job well done.”
"Our dedicated Detectives and Task Force Officers worked tirelessly to locate and apprehend Rojas to ensure the safety of our citizens," said Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza.
He continued, "Their unwavering commitment to upholding the law serves as a powerful reminder that fugitives will not evade justice in Yonkers and that public safety remains a top priority for our city.”
Because escape from custody is a felony in New York, Yonkers Police assumed the primary investigative role in locating Rojas. The County Department of Correction is now conducting an internal investigation into the details of Rojas' escape from the hospital.
This continues to be a developing story. Check back to Daily Voice for updates.
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