American cut through steel bars to escape Indonesian prison
A California man is on the lam after he broke through the steel ceiling bars in an Indonesian jail on Monday — the second time foreign inmates escaped from the overcrowded prison this year, authorities said.
Cristian Beasley, 31, a suspect in narcotics-related crimes who had not yet been sentenced, bolted from the Kerobokan prison — about six miles from the main tourist beaches of Kuta, a village in Bali — at 4:10 a.m., Bandung police chief Yudith Satria Hananta said.
“It is thought that the prisoner escaped … by cutting through the steel bars above the ceiling,” he said in a statement.
Authorities believe Beasley used a rope to descend a wall, then managed to get over a perimeter wall in an area being refurbished.
He did not mention how Beasley managed to evade detection, but noted that police questioned witnesses and guards, and continue hunting for the escapee, Hananta said.
Paul Anthony Hoffman, 57, another American, also tried to escape Monday morning but was captured.
In June, an Australian, a Bulgarian, an Indian and a Malaysian escaped by tunneling about 13 yards under the prison’s walls. Both the Indian and the Bulgarian were caught — but Shaun Edward Davidson, of Australia, and Tee Kok King, of Malaysia, remain at large.
On Davidson’s apparent Facebook page, he shared a link to a group entitled, “Fans of Shaun Rageone Davidson – Australian Escapee.”
“From what we know of Mr Davidson he’s not only a wanted international fugitive but hes got the looks of a model and the humor of a comedian this cunning lad is not only smart but he seems like the whole package,” the page description said.
The Kerobokan prison has housed various foreign drug convicts, including Australian Schappelle Corby, who served 12 1/2 years for marijuana smuggling.
The country has executed several foreign drug convicts in recent years.
Kerobokan held 1,378 inmates — more than four times its capacity of 323 as of June, according to government data.
With Post wires