A quick trip to the restroom turned into a busted break for a Phoenix inmate after deputies say she tried to escape through the ceiling at Valleywise Health Medical Center, only to get stuck between two walls. Deputies ultimately freed her and had her checked out by medical staff at the scene. Authorities have not released her name or said what charges she may face.
What deputies say happened
According to the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office, the woman asked to use a restroom on Wednesday while at the Valleywise campus near 24th Street and Roosevelt, then climbed into the ceiling in an apparent escape attempt. As reported by Arizona's Family, deputies searched the area and eventually found her wedged between two interior walls. She was pulled out and evaluated by medical personnel.
Hospital response
Valleywise Health told Arizona's Family that the safety and security of patients, employees and visitors are its highest priority. The hospital said emergency procedures were activated and the situation was resolved safely, and the statement thanked law enforcement and first responders for their quick partnership.
How hospital visits by inmates are handled
Maricopa County’s Custody Hospital Unit, or CHU, is responsible for arranging inmate transports and providing security when jail medical needs exceed on-site care. It operates 24 hours a day and processes thousands of transports and appointments, according to a county inspection report. That report notes the CHU runs out of Valleywise Health Medical Center at 2601 E. Roosevelt St. and focuses on protecting patients, staff and the public during medical visits. For more, see the Maricopa County inspection report and the Valleywise Health location listing.
Not the first ceiling attempt
Trying to disappear into a ceiling is not exactly a fresh idea, and it usually does not end well. Corrections1 covered a March case in North Carolina where an inmate met with an attorney, then attempted to crawl into the visitation-room ceiling and was caught mid-act. These attempts typically fail when crawlspaces have no exit or when staff spot the move quickly. In Phoenix, the incident appears to have been resolved without injury.
Officials did not immediately release additional details about charges or the inmate’s identity. Hospital officials said emergency procedures worked as intended and no one was harmed in the strange attempt.
