LA County Authorities Accidentally Release Murder Suspect
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA.com/AP) — Authorities sought the public's help Tuesday to locate an inmate who was accidentally released from prison in Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office said Monday that 37-year-old Steven Lawrence Wright, who was awaiting trial for a gang-related murder, was mistakenly released from the Inmate Reception Center on Saturday.
The sheriff's department says it became aware of Wright's release more than 24 hours later on Sunday night.
The department says it immediately began coordinating resources with Pasadena Police and formed a task force dedicated to tracking Wright down.
"I am gravely concerned about this," Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Chair Hilda L. Solis said in a written statement. "Obviously, the most urgent priority now is to find this individual and return him to custody. After that, I think that we will need to look more deeply into what happened and see what safeguards we need to implement so that it never happens again."
A review will be conducted to prevent future accidental inmate releases.
Wright had been behind bars since April 2011 following his arrest for the gang-related shooting death of a 47-year-old man that same year in Pasadena. At the time police said Wright belonged to the Altadena Block Crips.
CBS2's Jasmine Viel reported six inmates were accidentally let go from the jail in 2015.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Wright has been urged to contact the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department at (562) 946-7231.
(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Local Media, a division of CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2013 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
