Medical bracelet helps Las Vegas police ID California fugitive at wedding chapel after escape from hospital bed
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — Police arrested a California fugitive, who escaped from his hospital bed wearing a leg restraint, at a wedding chapel in a stolen car with his medical bracelet in his pocket, police allege in documents the 8 News Now Investigators obtained.
Deshawn Ricks, of Fresno, California, faced charges in both California and Las Vegas as of Friday, records showed.
On July 29, Metro police tracked a stolen vehicle from California in the area of Las Vegas Boulevard, documents said. Earlier in the day, an officer attempted to pull over its driver, but he or she sped away.
An officer later found the car parked in a hotel parking lot on Las Vegas Boulevard near Charleston Boulevard, police said. After locating the car, an officer spotted a man, later identified as Ricks, getting into it and driving off, police said.
Ricks “began conducting multiple U-turns on Las Vegas Boulevard” before stopping at a wedding chapel, police said. Officers then took Ricks into custody.
Ricks provided police with a different person’s name and birthday when asked, police said. The person was actually his cousin, documents said. At the time of his escape in July, Ricks was 33, documents said.
Shortly after his arrest, an officer located a medical bracelet in a front pocket. The bracelet had Ricks’ name and birthday. Police later found warrants for Ricks’ arrest in California and Virginia, they said.
The stolen car was taken from Los Angeles and reported missing on July 27, police said.
Though police arrested Ricks on July 29, it was not until Sept. 19 that Ricks was federally charged with escape and appeared in federal court In Las Vegas. Ricks was charged in Las Vegas Justice court on Sept. 5 on a fugitive from justice charge, though the case was closed on Sept. 7.
On June 14, police in Orange County, California, arrested Ricks on a federal carjacking charge, documents said. Ricks was detained at the Santa Ana City Jail pending the outcome of his criminal case.
Ricks was accused of assaulting staff at the jail on July 5, police said. Ricks was later transferred to a Los Angeles jail where he purposefully injured himself, documents said. Due to his injuries, prison officials brought Ricks to a Los Angeles-area hospital.
On July 25, police said Ricks asked to be unrestrained from his hospital bed so he could use the bathroom, documents said. Once a guard removed one restrained, Ricks ran out of his hospital room and left the hospital, police said.
At the time of his hospital escape, Ricks was wearing a hospital gown “with one leg restraint attached around one of his ankles,” documents said.
A judge ordered Ricks to be detained pending extradition to California, records showed.
Ricks was charged in late July with two counts of battery by prisoner and one count of battery, records showed. He pleaded no contest and was given credit for time served.
It was unclear Friday when officials in Las Vegas alerted federal authorities about Ricks’ fugitive status. His court case on charges regarding the stolen car remained open as of Friday and he had a November court date scheduled.
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