BY ZACHARY R. DOWDY
Newsday
SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y. — Correction officers at the Suffolk County jail last week may have foiled an escape attempt by a reputed gang member who is awaiting sentencing in a homicide when they raided his cell and located a handcuff key that they said he had taped to a toilet.
Officers raided Jose Crespin’s cell in the Riverhead facility after getting a tip from an informant that Crespin, 20, was hiding a handcuff key, said Suffolk County Sheriff Vincent DeMarco.
“Our guys went in there, took the inmate out, searched the cell and recovered the key,” DeMarco said yesterday.
“We’re still trying to determine where he got the key.”
DeMarco said inmates are searched at least three times when they return to jail from court dates by court officers, sheriff’s deputies and by correction officers.
Prisoners are also thoroughly searched after they speak to family and friends during visiting hours.
The operation was conducted by the jail’s Internal Security and Gang Units.
Crespin pleaded guilty in May to first-degree manslaughter in the killing of Walter Coca, who police said Crespin stabbed in the abdomen in March 2007 because he believed Coca had made inappropriate sexual advances toward his aunt and sisters.
He was originally charged with second-degree murder in the killing but pleaded guilty to the lesser charge.
State Supreme Court Justice Robert W. Doyle is expected to sentence Crespin next Wednesday.
Crespin now also faces charges of first-degree promoting prison contraband and first-degree attempted escape, but it was unclear yesterday when he would be arraigned on those charges.
Crespin’s attorney, Eric Naiburg of Central Islip, could not be reached for comment.
Copyright 2008 Newsday