US Prisoners Who Broke Wall with Toothbrush to Escape... Caught Within 9 Hours

Found at a Pancake Shop 11km Away in a Nearby Town
Arrested Following Resident Report... Returned to Prison

A hole made by escapees in the wall of Newport News prison.
[Photo by AP Yonhap News]

Two American inmates who escaped from prison by drilling a hole in the prison wall using skewers made from toothbrushes were caught in a neighboring town just 9 hours after the crime.

According to NBC News and other foreign media on the 22nd (local time), John Gaza (37) and Ali Nemo (43), who were incarcerated at Newport News Prison in Virginia on the afternoon of the 20th, made a hole in the prison wall and escaped by climbing over the fence.

Earlier, they found a weak spot on the inner wall of the prison building using skewers made from toothbrushes and began breaking down the wall. During the crime, the inmates luckily found a rebar lying between the walls, and using this rebar, they successfully made a hole in the wall. After coming out through the hole, they climbed over the fence and completely escaped from the prison.

Afterwards, they walked about 11 km to enter a 24-hour pancake chain restaurant 'IHOP' in a neighboring town. However, their 'freedom' was short-lived. A suspicious citizen immediately reported them to the police. They were caught by the police at around 4:20 a.m. on the 21st, 9 hours after the escape, and returned to prison. The police said, "After being arrested, they did not cause any disturbance and returned to Newport News Prison." It was reported that the prison guards noticed their disappearance during a headcount at around 7:15 p.m. on the same day.

John Gaza (37, left) and Ali Nemo (43), inmates at Newport News Prison, were captured 9 hours after their escape.
[Photo by Yonhap News]

Gaza, who is charged with contempt of court and probation violation, had been incarcerated since December last year, and Nemo entered the prison in October last year on charges of credit card forgery and theft. The sheriff's office stated in a press release, "The two men used 'primitive tools' made from toothbrushes and metal objects to exploit weaknesses in the prison building."

Meanwhile, the Newport News correctional authorities have begun inspecting the prison building in response to this incident.