Commissioners ‘greatly concerned’ after prison escape
Fayette County Commissioner Vincent Zapotosky, who serves on the county prison board, said he is “greatly concerned” after an inmate was able to escape the prison Tuesday afternoon.
Uniontown police Lt. Thomas Kolencik said David Thomas McFadden, 21, of Mount Pleasant was quickly apprehended by prison officials and city police following his jump from a window 25 feet from the ground.
McFadden was subsequently charged with escape, flight from law enforcement and criminal mischief, Kolencik said.
Zapotosky said that while he is glad that police and prison personnel were able to rapidly capture the escapee, the incident should not have occurred in the first place.
“This is a great concern, and the other commissioners, along with myself, are taking this incident very serious. It is a public safety issue. Too many bad things could have happened. Thank God, nothing did,” Zapotosky said.
Kolencik said officers were alerted to the escape by a person who came to the police station and said that he had witnessed McFadden jumping from the window of the prison shortly before 6 p.m.
After contacting the prison and learning of McFadden’s escape, the police department joined with prison personnel to conduct a search of the area, Kolencik said, noting that McFadden was seen headed into the parking garage on Penn Street.
While in the garage, McFadden removed his green and white prison uniform and threw it in a trash can and then ran from the garage in nothing by his underwear, socks and shoes, Kolencik said.
He was then captured in a parking lot, adjacent to Laurel Business Institute.
McFadden had been jailed on Monday after police served two bench warrants for his arrest.
Kolencik said that McFadden was able to escape the lockup by entering a teleconferencing room, removing an air-conditioning unit from the window and then jumping to the ground.
McFadden remains in prison on $25,000 straight cash bond.
He will face a preliminary hearing at a later date before Magisterial District Judge Michael M. Metros.
Zapotosky said that he conducted a walk-through at the prison shortly before noon Thursday and met with prison officials to discuss the incident.
“The commissioners are going to work to ensure that this does not happen again,” Zapotosky said, noting that some preventative steps already have been taken to avoid a future incident like Tuesday’s escape.
“They have already put bars up over that window and are now going to lock those offices when they are not in use,” Zapotosky said.
He noted that when McFadden made his dash, he was being held in a “holding cell,” which is not a typical jail cell and is a transitional area inside the prison.
“Obviously, we are going to make significant structural changes to the holding cell area and evaluate the procedures for prisoners in that transitional phase,” Zapotosky said.
While prison Warden Brian Miller could not be reached for comment Thursday, Zapotosky said he was working to prepare a detailed summary of the incident for public release Thursday afternoon.