Recent surveillance footage obtained exclusively by ABC13 seems to show the moment Nigel Sanders, an inmate with a history of burglary, nonchalantly walked out of the Harris County jail intake center after a court appearance last Thursday. The video displays Sanders, 35, exiting the downtown Houston facility barefoot and donning orange jail pants, with no one in sight to stop his escape. This incident spotlights serious security flaws at the jail.
It has been revealed, according to court documents, that Sanders made his escape by maneuvering through the ceiling of a tunnel connected to the courthouse. While 50 to 60 inmates typically move back and forth through these tunnels without outdoor exposure, it was discovered that not all inmates were escorted or handcuffed. Found in the tunnels, presumably along Sanders' path to freedom, were orange slippers and other discarded clothing, revealing his calculated method of escape.
ABC13 reports Sanders then confronted a Harris County District Attorney's Office employee, threatening her with a knife to seize her car. During the ensuing struggle, the vehicle crashed, and Sanders fled the scene. He was later apprehended at a relative's home early Friday morning, resulting in additional arrests including Sanders' mother and sister.
Meanwhile, as disclosed by the Houston Chronicle, Sanders acquired a janitor's pocket knife and a hooded sweatshirt to disguise his jail attire after descending from the ceiling into a break room at 1301 Franklin. The sheriff's office emphasized that an internal investigation is underway but has yet to determine specific details such as the escape's timing and the breakdown in security protocols, if any existed.
Indications of the escape timeline remain uncertain; Sanders appeared before a 179th District Court judge earlier in the day, and by 3:50 p.m., deputies were ordered to verify their inmates. New charges now face Sanders, including escape and aggravated robbery with a deadly weapon, as Senior Deputy Thomas Gilliland announced, "Sanders has gone from low risk to being a very high risk. He’ll be chained, shackled when he’s transported to-and-from the courthouse. He’s now an escape risk." The plan is to have the Office of the Inspector General review surveillance footage and other evidence related to the escape.
