Tampa Tribune
TAMPA, Fla. — An inmate who escaped from a correctional facility in Tarpon Springs was spotted at the Westfield Countryside Mall on Tuesday.
Someone called police and reported seeing Raul Diaz, 27, go into the Clearwater mall.
A man who works at The Transition House and another inmate from the facility were at Countryside Mall on Tuesday for a job interview for the inmate. As they were leaving the mall, they saw Diaz riding a bicycle on the west side of the mall.
When they yelled his name, he jumped off the bike and ran. He later entered the mall on the second floor on the north side and ran through the mall. He exited the southeast side of the Mall at Macy’s and ran from the mall in a southeast direction.
Police were unsure whether Diaz was still in the mall, so they began to secure the area. Then they viewed surveillance video that showed Diaz had already left, according to a release from the Clearwater Police Department.
Officers and deputies from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office searched areas around the mall.
Clearwater Police spokesman Rob Shaw said a woman living in a nearby condo reported a possible sighting of the inmate Tuesday as well, but K-9s were unable to pick up on any scent.
Shaw said any potential sightings should be reported immediately, and that individuals should keep their distance from the inmate if he’s spotted.
Diaz escaped from the Transition House of Tarpon Springs, 566 Brady Road, at 2:55 p.m. Monday, according to the Florida Department of Corrections.
He was sentenced in August 2014 to two years, two months and 17 days on grand theft and burglary charges.
Diaz has black hair and brown eyes, is 5 feet 5 inches tall and weighs 144 pounds. He has multiple tattoos, including two tear drops on his face and a clown face on his back, according to the state DOC website.
Anyone with information about Diaz should contact the Department of Corrections at (850) 922-6867.