Prisoner Escapes, Found Hiding In Hospital Ceiling

An El Paso police prisoner who attempted to escape custody while being treated at University Medical Center Sunday morning, was found hiding in the ceiling of the hospital.

El Paso police say the 31-year-old man was detained by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials while trying to pass through the Bridge of the Americas early Sunday.

That’s where he was arrested, according to police, after trying to kidnap his girlfriend and take her across the border into Mexico.

Police said the man was in custody when he was transported him to University Medical Center on ‘medical clearance’.

While at the hospital, the suspect said he had to use the bathroom where, police said, the man pushed up one of the ceiling tiles in an attempt to escape.

When authorities couldn’t locate the man, police and deputies set up a perimeter near the hospital, and enlisted helicopters and K9 units to search for him.

The man was discovered hours later, police said, he was still hiding in the ceiling of the hospital.

He has been charged with multiple counts of aggravated assault and kidnapping.