The sweet taste of freedom didn’t last long hawaii fugitive He was hit and killed by a car shortly after escaping from prison.
Around 1 a.m. last Friday, 33-year-old Matthew J. Ornelas Jr., who is serving time at the Kauai Community Correctional Center on a Class C drug felony, decided to run away. He managed to scale the prison wall despite the razor wire and disappeared into the deep brush surrounding the facility, causing the guards to lose sight of him.
But the escape plan quickly went south when Ornelas ran onto nearby Kuhio Highway, where he was struck by a car shortly after. A “loud noise from the road” alerted officers to his location, officials said. statement From Democratic Hawaii Governor Josh Green.
Officers found Ornelas seriously injured lying on the road about 100 meters from the prison. An ambulance later arrived and took him to the hospital, but his condition continued to “deteriorate,” the governor’s statement said.
Ornelas died from his injuries on Thursday, less than a week after his escape.
“The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (DCR) extends our deepest condolences to Mr. Ornelas’ family and loved ones,” said DCR Director Tommy Johnson.
The apparent hit-and-run is still ongoing. investigation, Police have not yet identified the car or driver that hit Ornelas in the fatal accident. The only clue mentioned in the governor’s statement was that a “dark-colored vehicle” was spotted in the area making a “U-turn on Kuhio Highway” shortly after the accident.
Kauai Police say anyone with information regarding this incident should call Officer Henshaw at 808-241-1616, Crime Stoppers Kauai at 808-246-8300, or submit information at We are calling on people to come forward by doing so. cskauai.org
Kauai Community Correctional Center has medium security and minimum security unit. Green’s statement said Ornelas was considered a “minimum detention inmate” even though he had been convicted of “promoting dangerous drugs.” It is unclear how long Mr. Ornelas has been in prison and how much of his sentence has yet to be served.
Kauai, Hawaii’s fourth largest island, has a population of less than 75,000 people.
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