Man who escaped on way to court dies in federal custody

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Sanchez

Updated: February 14, 2012 10:21AM

CHICAGO — A prisoner who escaped in Lockport last month and made his way to Rockdale before being found hours later hiding in a portable toilet has died in federal custody.

Cesar Sanchez, 37, alias Juan Sanchez, was pronounced dead at 12:08 a.m. Wednesday at Mercy Hospital and Medical Center, the Cook County Medical Examiner reporter. An autopsy performed Thursday showed further study will be needed to determine the cause of his death, but it does not appear to be the result of foul play.

Sanchez arrived last week at the Metropolitan Correctional Center after being transferred from Stateville Correctional Center into federal custody.

On Dec. 2, Sanchez was returning from a court appearance in Bridgeview when he jumped from a transport van at Farrell Road and 159th Street in Lockport. Sanchez was serving a seven-year-sentence for burglary and had also done time for theft, robbery, aggravated battery and narcotics possession.

Citing security concerns, a Department of Corrections spokeswoman declined to provide details of how the prisoner got out of the van. When police found Sanchez that night, he was wearing handcuffs, but his legs were not shackled.

After his escape, Sanchez made his way to the nearby Jewel-Osco and climbed behind the wind deflector of a Berryman Transfer semi driven by Tony Miller. When Miller arrived at the truckyard in Rockdale, he saw Sanchez jump down and run toward the road. When he learned police were searching for the escaped convict, Miller had the company contact police.

Dogs and helicopters using infrared cameras tracked Sanchez to a row of portable toilets at the Waste Management site next to Berryman.

About six hours after his escape, Sanchez was found hiding in the holding tank below the floor of a portable toilet.

While Sanchez was waiting to be charged for his escape, he was indicted a few days later by a federal grand jury with conspiracy to commit interstate robbery, robbery and using a firearm during a crime of violence. The grand jury indicted Carlos Ochoa, 48, on the same charges.

Before being arrested in November 2010, Sanchez and Ochoa committed armed robberies at grocery stores, cell phone stores and a flower shop in Chicago and Aurora, the U.S. Attorney’s office said.