Man Escapes Washington Prison By Impersonating Cellmate
An inmate in a Washington jail escaped from custody this week after he impersonated another cellmate, and authorities are asking for the public's help in finding him.
On Monday, the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office in Kelso, Washington, said that 26-year-old Brian Francisco Roman impersonated a cellmate "who was scheduled to be released that day," and escaped custody.
In 2019, over 2,000 inmates escaped from jails across the U.S., according to data from Statista, and most notably in 2022, Alabama inmate Casey Cole White escaped from the custody of the Lauderdale County Sheriff's Office along with prison guard Vicky White. The two had no relation. Vicky White was fatally shot while the two were on the run and Casey White has since been charged with felony murder in her death.
The Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office explained in a Facebook post that a corrections officer with the Cowlitz County Corrections Department went to notify an inmate that he was going to be released. When arriving at the cell where the inmate, who was not identified, was located, all three members of the cell were asleep.
"When the corrections officer called for the inmate, Roman identified himself as that inmate and went with the corrections officer to be processed out of custody. Jail staff stated that Roman and the other inmate have similar physical features," the post said.
According to the sheriff's office, corrections officers conducted the release process with Roman, who received property that belonged to the other inmate, including a wallet, keys, clothes, an ID and a debit card. Roman also forged the inmate's name on release papers, the sheriff's office said.
After Roman was released from jail, corrections officers realized that he was the wrong inmate when the inmate who was impersonated inquired about his own release.
Wanted: Brian Francisco Roman
"Local law enforcement agencies were notified and have been searching for Roman. Roman was last seen wearing a blue hoody sweatshirt, a black shirt, gray sweatpants, and brown slippers," the sheriff's office said in the Facebook post.
Following his escape, the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office issued an arrest warrant for Roman on charges of "Escape 2nd Degree, Criminal Impersonation 1st Degree, Forgery, Theft 2nd Degree, and Theft 3rd Degree."
"The Sheriff's Office is asking anyone with information about Roman's location to call 911," the Facebook post said.
Newsweek reached out to the Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office via email for any updated information on the case.
In 2022, an inmate escaped a Texas jail, and while he was on the run is suspected of murdering a family of five. The escaped inmate is now deceased.
That same year, an inmate who escaped from an Oklahoma jail was apprehended after he asked strangers to borrow their phones.
