SALINAS >> An inmate who had been arrested six days earlier in Seaside escaped from Monterey County Jail on Christmas morning by climbing up a ventilation duct and punching out a window.
Freddy Swanson, 23, had been arrested Dec. 19 at a Seaside motel after a high-speed chase that followed a hit-and-run. After a brief standoff, he was taken into custody by Seaside police and charged with multiple narcotics- and firearms-related violations.
The Monterey County Sheriff’s Office reported that Swanson scaled a 45-degree-angled ventilation duct, then punched out a four-foot-by-two-foot window, which enabled him to access the roof. Swanson then leapt from the roof and escaped the medium-security facility shortly after 11:30 a.m.
A small amount of blood was discovered next to the broken glass.
A statewide BOL (be on the lookout) report has been issued for Swanson’s arrest and return to custody. The sheriff’s office said he is considered armed and dangerous.
Dennis Taylor can be reached at 726-4371.
