Sink provided means of escape for Caddo County inmates

ANADARKO — A trio of inmates escaped through a hole made by pulling away a sink which led to law enforcement using every resource except the kitchen sink to find them.

Arrest warrants were issued Friday in Caddo County District Court for a count of escape from the Department of Corrections/County Jail for Davantae D. Winters, 23, of Anadarko; and charges of felony counts of escape from a penal institution for Hector Marcial Hernandez, 31, of Anadarko, and Michael Ruban Brown, 40, of Anadarko, records indicate.

The three men were discovered missing from the jail following a head count at 10 a.m. Friday.

A sink was pulled from the wall, creating a void big enough to fit all three inmates, who then used the hole to escape, according to the probable cause affidavits.

According to Caddo County Sheriff Spencer Davis, information was received leading to the mens’ location in the Oklahoma City area. Oklahoma City Police Department VCAT Unit was contacted for assistance and, along with personnel from the Oklahoma Highway Patrol, and the U.S. Marshals Service, resulted in their arrest.

Winters, Hernandez and Brown were extradited from the Cleveland County Detention Center back to the Caddo County jail by Tuesday afternoon.

The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation is investigating the escape including how they made their way to Oklahoma City, and are looking into potential jail employee negligence and issues with the jail’s structural integrity, according to the OSBI.

Caddo County Sheriff Spencer Davis issued a statement for why he called in the OSBI to look further into the escape and other updates. He said his goal is to provide transparency to the public.

“I want to find out everything that occurred the night this happened and proceed with appropriate action,” he said. “I know another question many of you have is the timeframe in which the public was notified about the escape.”

Davis said the three men escaped following the Thursday night headcount. After they were discovered missing from A-Pod, a search began with the eventual discovery of their escape route. At first, it was believed they were still confined between the pod wall and the outer wall. The public was notified of the escape once it was confirmed they were no longer there, he said in the statement.

“When my office was notified of the escape, all hands were on deck and my investigators did not leave until the escapees were located, and taken back into custody,” he said.

Davis said he has spoken with the county commissioners and they are working to find the funding to correct any structural issues with the jail. Law enforcement is working to shore up any weak points.

“We have taken measures to better secure and enhance security locations between the pods as well,” he said. “These are issues that are being addressed immediately, and a lot have already been fixed.”