KAUAI, HI – An audacious jailbreak attempt took a turn for the worse when an escapee was severely wounded in a hit-and-run incident. The escapee, Matthew J. Ornellas Jr., 33, was an inmate at the Kauai Community Correctional Center in Hawaii, serving time for a drug-related charge.
Ornellas reportedly broke out from the correctional facility around 1 a.m. Friday. He ran into the traffic on Kuhio Highway after scaling the jail’s razor-wire fence. His run for freedom was cut short about 300 feet away when he was struck by a vehicle. The vehicle’s driver reportedly fled the scene following a U-turn.
Ornellas, who is now in serious condition, remains under police custody while hospitalized. Meanwhile, authorities are actively searching for the errant driver.
The Kauai Community Correctional Center is a medium and minimum security facility located on Hawaii’s eastern coast. Ornellas was under minimum security at the time of the escape, confirmed a spokesperson for the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation.
Housing 130 inmates, the correctional center offers a variety of programs, including education, substance abuse treatment, religious practice, art, and work programs. A press release earlier in January highlighted the challenges posed by the state’s aging correctional facilities, their inefficient construction, and the inability to address persistent safety or security concerns.