by Alex Lloyd Gross
Gino Hagenkotter was serving time in the Riverside Prison, which is part of the Philadelphia Prison system. He was a non violent inmate, doing time for theft and burglary, officials said. He was on a work detail and scheduled to be released on Thursday to a less restrictive program. “Prior to this we check, we run their name through a database and found him to be wanted in Bucks County, so that was canceled,”said Prison Superintendent Blanche Carney.
Gino Hagenkotter escapes from prison
It was just before noon, when Hagenkotter was working at an outdoor orchard. He was supervised by a guard and got permission to use the restroom, which is located outside. The guard who was supervising his work, did not follow. When Hagenkotter did not return in a responsible time, the guard went to the restroom facility and found him not there. Hagenkotter had jumped a fence and ran onto a parking lot and down a street towards Torredale Ave.
Hagenkotter last lived in the Northeast, on 11800 Brandon Road and on the 3500 block of Shelmire Street. Prison guards set up a perimeter and police closed a small portion of State Road. Hagenkotter was a minimum custody inmate with a long record of petty crimes like retail theft and drugs, court records show. His Bucks County warrant was for similar crimes.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo-Delaware Valley News.com The Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center.
He has never been arrested for a crime of violence. His escape cause the entire prison system to be placed on lock down. The orchard is located behind the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Facility.