Newly released photos show the inside of the courthouse room in downtown Phoenix where authorities say convicted child rapist Adrian Gonzalez Cruz broke from his shackles and escaped. He apparently managed to undo himself from the chains on Tuesday and walk out of the Maricopa County Superior courthouse unnoticed while his trial on unrelated charges was on a lunch break. The Maricopa County sheriff’s deputies assigned to guard him were reportedly away from the area when the escape took place. [This post has been updated with videos after the jump.]
The superior court released the above photos today, showing the inside of the room, which turns out was an interview room and not one of the heavily-fortified cells that can be found in other parts of the courthouse. Cruz is still on the loose. He was previously convicted of raping and impregnating a 9-year-old girl. Cruz’s attorney, Jeffrey Kirchler, declined to comment.
Update (9:40 p.m.): The courts have also released these two videos of Cruz as he leaves the courtroom. The first one shows him on the 7th floor of the east court building, where he was being held. The second shows him on the plaza level, leaving an elevator and walking out the front door.