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CNN Live At Daybreak

Jailbreak Leads to Quick Recapture

Aired August 09, 2001 - 07:21   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
VINCE CELLINI, CNN ANCHOR: Four inmates escaped from a New Mexico jail overnight. Two were captured quickly, two more were captured this morning.

And right now, we want to revisit that with Lieutenant E.P. Higgs from the Soccoro Police Department in New Mexico, and one of the first officers to respond.

Are you there, Lieutenant?

LIEUTENANT E.P. HIGGS, SOCCORO, NEW MEXICO, POLICE: Yes, I am.

CELLINI: What can you tell us? What went wrong? How did this happen?

HIGGS: Essentially the two jailers were moving several prisoners from the meal area back to their cells. The two detention officers were overpowered. One of them, a female, was able to hit the 9-1-1 button to call for assistance. Both detention officers were then overpowered and placed into a detox cell. Three men and one woman then escaped from the area, taking with them the keys.

We arrived on scene, were able to find out exactly who had escaped. Being a small community, a lot of the officers know the people of Socorro. We captured George Sosa and David Salmone (ph) approximately 15 to 20 minutes afterwards. The New Mexico state police led in the arrest of both Sosa and Salmone (ph) at approximately 1:30 in the morning.

Alfredo San Juan, who was in custody for open count of murder, was captured and turned himself in, essentially, up at the San Lorenzo picnic area to Urik Savadra (ph), the sheriff and New Mexico state police detective Jay Blakely (ph) at approximately 03:30 a.m.

The last escapee, Sonja Arquijo, turned herself in to Mike Anderson (ph) of News 4, and he in turn notified me. I went over, and we made contact with her and she was detained also.

CELLINI: Well, Lieutenant E.P. Higgs, thank you very much. And that's great -- a quick recapture of this New Mexico jail break. Thank you for your time.

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