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| Inmate's courthouse escape ends in recapture |
| By Los Angeles Daily News |
| Published: 12/06/2004 |
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A five-hour search for an inmate who escaped into the ceiling at California's Newhall Superior Court building ended late on Dec. 2 when he was captured by a sheriff's special weapons team. Gary Duggan, 29, now faces felony escape charges in addition to the trespassing charge that brought him to court last Thursday, Los Angeles County sheriff's Sgt. Byron Wainie said. Duggan apparently was left alone in a conference room about 3 p.m. after meeting with his attorney, and escaped into the attic through the ceiling, authorities said. He then crawled nearly the entire length of the attic until he discovered a crawl space that led down to a telephone cable room. Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies searched for Duggan by studying a blueprint of the building and using an infrared scanner to scan likely hiding places. Deputies also heard noises coming from the attic, and knew the approximate area where Duggan was hiding, Wainie said. "It's a huge building, but we knew he was still up there," Wainie said. "He had a way up, but no way down. The odds weren't on his side to get away." Duggan was captured about 8 p.m. after officers ignited a flash-bang device where he was hiding. He was immediately taken next door to the Newhall sheriff's station, to be questioned and booked, authorities said. Despite deputies' certainty that Duggan remained in the courthouse, a helicopter searched overhead and several squad cars lined the busy streets surrounding the Santa Clarita Civic Center during the search. Police dogs were held at bay, their handlers reluctant to send them into the attic for fear they would fall through the false ceiling. The courthouse and neighboring Los Angeles County facilities, including the Valencia Library, were evacuated as the search began. Prosecutors and defense lawyers waited outdoors while sheriff's deputies went inside the vacated building to pick up their personal items, briefcases and purses. After the escape was discovered, searchers were led to the attic when someone in the Division 2 courtroom spotted broken ceiling tiles on the floor. Dozens of sheriff's deputies quickly surrounded the area, blocking cars exiting the neighboring Valencia Town Center mall. Duggan, of Saugus, was arrested Nov. 30 on suspicion of burglary and trespassing. The burglary is still under investigation. He was being held in lieu of $100,000 bail. |
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