A man who escaped July 17 from the Henderson County Detention Center is once again in Henderson County Sheriff’s Office custody, according to the office’s July 20 news release.
Erick Johnyy Perez, 20, also known as Junior, escaped through an emergency exit in the detention center’s recreation area at around 12:10 p.m. July 17 and climbed over a perimeter fence, the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office said in news releases that day and the next.
Perez escaped by taking advantage of a “system glitch,” which the Henderson County Information Technology Department and outside specialists later found and corrected, according to the July 20 release.
A detention officer discovered the escape after finding the door unsecured and confirmed with a head count.
The Henderson County Detention Center
The Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force searched over the course of almost 72 hours for Perez, who was considered armed and dangerous, according to a U.S. Marshals Service flyer.
The Marshals’ Service couldn’t be reached July 20 to answer what weapon Perez was reported to have carried. Their warning was issued a day after the sheriff’s office said Perez was missing. The Marshals’ Service also issued a $2,500 reward in a flyer, which not specify what the reward was for.
According to a Sheriff’s Office database, Perez was booked June 8 on charges including breaking or entering, resisting a public officer, larceny of a motor vehicle and injury to real property.
The Sheriff’s alert said Perez is a Mexican national and was being held on an immigration detainer.
Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Stephanie Barbosa told the Times-News July 18 that inmates under ICE detainers aren’t eligible to be released on bond until their underlying criminal case is resolved. She said that such inmates are usually taken into ICE custody within 48 hours of a case being resolved. Perez has been in Sheriff’s Office custody for more than six weeks.
The Sheriff’s Office has not yet responded to emails sent over the weekend requesting clarification on those points. Barbosa told the Times-News July 20 via email that the Sheriff’s Office isn’t releasing more details on the case because it is an ongoing investigation.
The Sheriff’s Office opts to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act, which allows ICE to deputize local police to enforce federal immigration law.
This story will be updated.
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George Fabe Russell is the Henderson County Reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Tips, questions, comments? Email him at GFRussell@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Hendersonville Times-News: Henderson County North Carolina fugitive returned to jail after escape