NYPD hunts for inmate Yenchun Chen who made a daring escape from Manhattan hospital by abseiling from the fifth floor with sheets tied before fleeing in a yellow cab
NYPD hunts for inmate Yenchun Chen who made a daring escape from Manhattan hospital by abseiling from the fifth floor with sheets tied before fleeing in a yellow cab
- Yenchun Chen, 44, has been on the run since escaping from Beth Israel Medical Center at 281 First Avenue on Wednesday.
- Chen was in custody for criminal possession of a controlled substance
- The police are asking for the public’s help in tracking him down
New York City police are on the hunt for a six-foot-tall inmate who made a daring escape from a Manhattan hospital.
Yenchun Chen, 44, was in the custody of the Department of Corrections at Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center, located at 281 First Avenue, when he was released around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday.
The hulking prisoner had been hospitalized since Friday after suffering heart problems.
Chen was supposedly taking a shower when he made off by tying sheets together and rappelling through a fifth-floor window.
When the corrections officers went to check on him, they found the bathroom window open and saw Chen gone.
An NYPD spokesperson confirmed to DailyMail.com that the “inmate escaped from the hospital through a fifth-floor window onto the street and fled in a yellow cab southbound on 2nd Avenue.”
Mugshot: Yenchun Chen, 44, was arrested on July 31 for criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was awaiting his court date set for later in the month, a report said
Chen was last seen wearing a white shirt and tan khaki pants. During his daring escape, he was still wearing his hospital bracelets
Mount Sinai Beth Israel Medical Center on First Avenue is where Chen escaped from on Wednesday
Police described Chen as having an average complexion, standing 6ft. 3 inches tall and weighs about 250 pounds, with brown eyes and black hair. He also has tattoos on his left arm and left hand.
He was dressed in a white shirt, tan khaki pants and still had his hospital bracelets on when he escaped from the medical facility.
One of the nurses told WABC 7 that she was “shocked” to hear a prisoner escape through a window.’
It is unclear which prison Chen was being held in.
Chen, was arrested on July 31 for criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was awaiting his court date set for later in the month, a report said.
Anyone with information pertaining to this individual’s whereabouts is asked to call the NYPD’s Crime Stoppers Hotline at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477) or for Spanish, 1-888-57-PISTA (74782).
The public can also submit their tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at https://crimestoppers.nypdonline.org/, or on Twitter @NYPDTips.
It had previously been reported that Chen had been captured, but NYPD confirmed to DailyMail.com that he was still on the lam.