MARYSVILLE – An internal investigation by the Marysville Police Department found widespread complacency in the jail was the reason 19-year-old Rhyan Vasquez was able to escape Sept. 22, 2014.
Ten people received some level of discipline, including Cmdr. Wendy Wade.
Police Chief Rick Smith said jail officers had stopped doing head counts, in violation of policy,
The officer who was in the room when Vasquez escaped was suspended without pay for three days. Wade was suspended without pay for two days.
Interior doors between jail areas and the city courtroom also were left unlocked, and more supervision was needed in the jail, the investigation determined.
Vasquez was gone for nearly two days. His absence was discovered when a public defender showed up on Sept. 24, and staff couldn’t find his client. Police caught up with Vasquez two days later.
The 10 employees, all of whom had worked in the jail during the escape or in the days Vasquez’ absence went unnoticed, received a discipline letter.
The Marysville jail can hold up to 57 inmates. Each shift now is required to conduct a head count at least twice. Two officers must separately do each count and compare notes, the chief said. Two officers also are required now for moving inmates between areas of the building.
The investigation found that when Vasquez escaped, another inmate had blocked the officer’s line of sight while using the hand sanitizer on the officer’s desk.
The escape happened while eight inmates were being brought back from a Bible study. Programs such as Bible study now take place inside the jail rather than in adjacent rooms.
And Wade said previously all the doors are locked now, too.
Before Vasquez was discovered missing a pair of black-and-white-striped jail pants were found outside the station. Staff said no inmates were missing.
Vasquez was being held for misdemeanor warrants. He had been scheduled to be transferred to the Snohomish County Jail to be held for investigation of first-degree robbery. He had punched an acquaintance in Everett, breaking the man’s jaw, and stole his phone and wallet.
Vasquez, now 20, was convicted of that robbery and the Marysville escape. He was sentenced in April to four years in prison.
Major policy changes weren’t needed, Wade said. Instead, the focus is to make sure procedures are followed, and that everyone knows there will be no “slipping back into complacency,” she said.
