Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Escape of Murderer Turns Lancaster Against 2nd Prison Plan

LANCASTER —  City Council members, angry about the escape of a convicted murderer from the local state prison this week, predicted Friday the city will drop its support for a proposed second local prison.

On the eve of today’s scheduled 11 a.m. City Hall public hearing called prior to the escape, council members reported getting scores of calls from angry citizens.

The Tuesday night escape of 23-year-old Eric Rene Johnson, a high-security inmate serving a life sentence for murder during a carjacking, quickly became the first debacle for the 8-month-old prison, even though Johnson was recaptured only five hours later.

Prison officials drew the heaviest criticism for waiting more than two hours after they originally suspected the escape at 9 p.m. Tuesday before notifying the local sheriff’s station. City Council members did not learn of the escape until 11 a.m. the following morning.

“When this major event comes down, they isolated themselves. I think that was a major mistake,” Mayor Arnie Rodio said. He said prison officials’ handling of the escape has put the second prison issue “back to square one.” And Rodio called the prospect of council support “not too good.”

Other problems connected with the escape were revealed Friday by prison spokesman Kenn Hicks. During the search late Tuesday, two prison officers armed with guns detained an employee at the nearby Fox Field Airport--suspecting he might be the prisoner--until they verified his identity, Hicks said.

The escapee was caught about 2 a.m. outside a Lancaster store.

Later that day, after being placed in solitary confinement, Johnson tried to commit suicide by attempting to hang himself with a bedsheet, Hicks said. The inmate was taken to a local hospital and remained there Friday. Hicks said Johnson is expected to survive.

Lancaster officials for months have been pursuing talks with state corrections officials about locating an inmate reception center/prison near the existing 4,200-inmate-capacity facility. Until the escape, support had been widespread. There had been two other escapes from the prison, but both involved minimum-security inmates.

On Friday, however, Councilman George Root said he no longer supports it, citing a massive shift in community sentiment. Councilman George Runner said he believes the council also will drop the plan, at least for some years. Councilman Henry Hearns said he too was reconsidering.

Councilman Frank Roberts said he was “leaning away from support for it.” Roberts said the escape and its handling has brought a personal sense of fear to local residents. “I think the prison officials blew it. Now we’re in a situation where the public doesn’t trust them,” Roberts said.

In other developments:

* After a meeting of prison officials and an advisory committee of prominent residents, prison officials announced a new policy to notify sheriff’s deputies and local leaders as soon as they suspect an escape. The prior policy, followed Tuesday, was to wait until one was confirmed.

* A seven-member internal affairs team of prison officials from other locations is due to arrive at the Lancaster prison Tuesday to begin an investigation of the escape. Hicks said that will include a review of the facility and its procedures.

* Although all high-security inmates at the prison supposedly had been locked in their cells since the escape, 29 had to be evacuated from a prison workshop Friday when a fire led to the release of a hazardous chlorine gas cloud. Nine staff members were briefly treated at the hospital.