HENDERSONVILLE, N.C. (828newsNOW) — Authorities are actively searching for an inmate who escaped from the Henderson County Detention Facility on Thursday afternoon, according to the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office.
The inmate, identified as 20-year-old Erick Johnyy Perez, escaped at about 12:10 p.m. on July 17 by exiting through a door designated solely for emergency use in the facility’s recreation area. Officials said the emergency exit is not used during routine operations. A detention officer discovered the door unsecured during a supervisory round, prompting an immediate headcount that confirmed Perez’s escape over the facility’s perimeter fence, the sheriff’s office said.
Perez was being held on charges of breaking, entering and larceny. He is also the subject of an immigration detainer and considered a Mexican national. The U.S. Marshals have issued a notice indicating Perez should be considered armed and dangerous.
A $2,500 reward is being offered for information leading to his capture.
Perez is described as about 5 feet, 8 inches tall, weighing about 180 pounds, with brown eyes and brown hair. He has a barbed wire tattoo on the left side of his face.
The escape remains under investigation. Authorities are working to determine whether it resulted from mechanical failure or human error.
The Henderson County Sheriff’s Office, in collaboration with local law enforcement and the U.S. Marshals Carolinas Regional Fugitive Task Force, is leading the manhunt.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the Henderson County Sheriff’s Office at 828-697-4911 or submit a tip through the agency’s mobile app.