TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A 40-year-old Green Island prison inmate, Wang Tien-you (王天佑), was caught at 9:58 p.m. on Monday after escaping incarceration earlier the same day.
A prison patrol discovered Wang hiding near the roof of the prison staff dormitory. Prison officers called for backup and persuaded Wang to surrender, per a prison press release.
Wang was able to elude correction officers for seven hours after engineering an escape when he was led along with another inmate to a warehouse to work in the afternoon. He later locked two individuals in a storeroom and scaled a three-meter perimeter wall to escape.
The inmate was in excellent physical condition, previously serving in Taiwan’s Marine Corps and later working as an electrician and a plumber, frequently working on the exterior of buildings.
According to police, it was cold and windy on Monday and Wang was only wearing shorts and a woolen hat. Police suspect the chilly weather made it difficult for him to keep warm, and together with the island-wide search carried out by law enforcement, he decided to return to the prison on his own.
Wang was serving a sentence of four years and seven months for the sale of ketamine as well as the possession of PMMA. He was convicted of drug dealing in Kaohsiung from 2019-2020.
He began serving his sentence on Green Island on March 20, 2024, and was originally scheduled for an early release in October 2026 due to good behavior. At the moment, Wang’s case will be transferred to the district prosecutor's office for further investigation and criminal liability.
Lyudao Township Chief Hsieh Hsien-yu (謝賢裕) posted a message on social media, indicating that he was grateful to all the police officers who supported the case.