By David Montero
Rocky Mountain News
6 prisoners escape from Mexican jail
DENVER, Colo. — Melvin Vierra has escaped from behind bars for the third time.
The facility that couldn’t hold him this time? Morgan County Jail.
“It’s only the second escape from our building in the last 20 years,” Morgan County Sheriff James Crone said.
Authorities discovered him missing Saturday night from the outdoor recreation area of the jail. They found that a screen in the roof of the recreation area had been kicked out, allowing the 33-year-old to crawl out and drop to the ground.
He was at large Sunday afternoon.
Crone said he should be considered dangerous. Officials issued a reverse-911 call.
Vierra is described as 5-foot-8 and 150 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. He has several tattoos, including the name “Debbie” on his chest and “Sonny Boy” on his neck.
The sheriff also said officials don’t believe he’ll stay in the area because he doesn’t appear to have strong ties to northern Colorado. However, he has plenty of ties to northern California, and Crone said officials have been in contact with Stockton police about the escape.
Vierra was being held on parole-violation charges after having been arrested in Stockton, Calif., in January on the weapons charge.
But his rap sheet goes back to 1995, when he was arrested on burglary and assault-domestic violence charges. He was sentenced to 10 years but escaped in January 2002. He was recaptured in April and got an extra six years tacked onto his prison sentence.
He escaped again in 2003 and got an additional seven years. The arrest in Stockton this year came while Vierra was out on parole. He was sent to Morgan County in February.
Copyright 2008 Denver Publishing Company