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American Morning

Los Angeles Convict Still at Large Following Clever Escape

Aired July 16, 2001 - 09:26   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.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Our look across America today begins in Los Angeles, where a man convicted of attempted murder is still at large today after a clever escape from the county jail.

Jim Nash of our affiliate KTLA has the story.

(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)

JIM NASH, KTLA REPORTER (voice-over): You're watching jail surveillance video of a three strikes convict wearing civilian clothes and a fake employee badge as he walks out with other employees, escaping the L.A. County Jail.

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: What happened at the courthouse?

NASH: That's the first question sheriff's investigators are trying to answer about 30-year-old Kevin Jerome Pullum, who had just been found guilty of attempted murder in Van Nuys Superior Court last Friday. Jail officials believe when the prisoner bus left the courthouse Friday evening, Pullum was still wearing civilian clothes from his court appearance hidden under his jail jumpsuit.

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: What happened at the inmate reception center when he returned?

NASH: About 7:30 Friday night, Pullum and others were returned to the men's central jail, where their bar coded wrist bands were scanned for a sixth time that day. Somehow Pullum got into a line of prisoners using the elevated walkway to the twin towers jail across the street. And jailers think somewhere along the way he took off his prisoner jumpsuit and wristband. In the twin towers, now wearing civilian clothes and an employee badge, he mingled with other jail workers.

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: And then finally the obvious one is what happened at the gate to let him out, out of security?

NASH: Pullum walked past security, out the employee entrance with hundreds of other workers to freedom. Did he get help from other prisoners with the fake I.D.?

UNIDENTIFIED OFFICIAL: The person we're talking to is an inmate.

(END VIDEOTAPE) KAGAN: And one twist to the story, it's reported that the fake employee badge worn by the escapee bore a photo of Eddie Murphy cut from a newspaper ad for a movie.

If you have a story from your hometown that you'd like to see in our segment, e-mail us. Our address: morning@CNN.com.

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