Transferred inmate briefly escapes

By Elisa Glushefski

Published: August 20, 2008

Early Wednesday morning, 23-year-old Eric James Pezely was transferring from the jail's modular facility, where minimum-security inmates are held, to the main facility with a group of other inmates, said police and the jail superintendent.

Pezely was then supposed to be escorted to court, said superintendent Col. Pete Meletis.

Instead, at about 6 a.m., Pezely removed his handcuffs and escaped three corrections staff members who were handling the transfer, leading to a manhunt involving several law enforcement agencies, Prince William police stated in a news release issued Wednesday afternoon.

About 2 1/2 hours later, he was taken into custody in the front yard of a residence in the 8700 block of Peabody Street, according to the release.

Prince William police have charged Pezely with felony offender escape without force, and Manassas City police have charged him with burglary, authorities said. He is being held without bond pending a court date set for Sept. 24.

Both police departments, along with the Prince William-Manassas regional jail, are investigating the early morning escape, officials said.

When transferring from the modular facility to the main facility, inmates in restraints are taken outside and have to walk roughly a 40-foot pathway from one gate to another, Meletis said.

It was while the inmates were outside that Pezely got away, Meletis said.

Pezely was being held on charges that included one count of statutory burglary, possession of burglary tools, two counts of destruction of burglary and providing false ID to police, said Rob Harris, his court-appointed attorney.

Harris said Wednesday afternoon that he had not yet been able to meet with his client and had no further comment.

A resident reported seeing the inmate run through the backyards of houses along Park Avenue in the city and jump a fence into the backyard of a house in the 8700 block of Peabody Street at about 8:20 p.m, police said.

Officers were searching that house when the inmate fled through the front door and was apprehended by a Manassas police officer.

Pezely got into the house through an unlocked door, police said.

A family was inside at the time, but specifics were not available, said county police spokeswoman 1st Sgt. Kim Chinn. No one was injured.

A 58-year-old Manassas City woman who lives about three blocks away from the jail, and asked that her name not be used, said she knew as soon as the helicopter began circling around the area that an inmate had escaped, but is troubled that the jail is not equipped with a siren to alert residents to a breakout.

"The only way we know something is awry is when the helicopter is circling around," the woman said.

When asked about the public safety issue, Meletis noted Pezely's "quick apprehension" and added: "Our last escape was in 1983, so we've had a good track record."

Meletis said an alert system might be something the jail would look into.

Prince William County police, the jail staff, Manassas City police, the Prince William County Sheriff's Office, the Fairfax County police helicopter and multiple police K-9's from the city and county assisted in the search.

Staff writer Elisa Glushefski can be reached at 703-878-8062.

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