THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 26, 1994 TAG: 9411260052
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
DATELINE: BROADWAY LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Five inmates rushed two guards opening a gate inside a medium-security state prison early Friday, locked up the guards and beat two other officers to escape.
Corrections officers, state police and local police using bloodhounds and a helicopter searched all day Friday for the escapees near the Rockingham-Augusta county border, where a Jeep stolen from outside the prison was found in a ravine along Interstate 81, said Department of Corrections spokesman Jim Jones.
``We are following up on all leads in that area,'' Jones said. ``People are calling in and police are tracking down sightings of people and vehicles.'' Jones said there was a report of a stolen pickup truck in the area.
The escapees were sentenced for crimes that included larceny, burglary and cocaine possession.
Jones said the guards at the Harrisonburg Correctional Unit No. 8 were checking the 135 inmates about 12:45 a.m. when the escape occurred.
The prison is about five miles north of Harrisonburg near the Rockingham County community of Linville.
``They opened the gate to allow an inmate to bring out some cleaning equipment,'' Jones said. ``At that point, five of the inmates rushed the gate, overpowered the two platform officers and locked the other two in the dormitories.''
The inmates attacked the two guards outside the dormitory, Jones said. One guard was beaten with a broom handle, while one of the inmates used a cast on his wrist to beat the other.
Jones said the guard beaten with the broom handle was treated for cuts on his nose and bruises on his upper body and face and released from Rockingham Memorial Hospital. The other guard remained in the hospital Friday with a head injury, Jones said.
``His injuries are serious but not life-threatening,'' Jones said.
The two guards who were locked in the dormitory area were separated from the prison population by another gate and were not injured.
After subduing the guards, the inmates broke into a locker and took the keys to the front gate and a guard's Jeep.
One of the injured guards was able to sound an alarm that woke an off-duty officer in the guard's quarters next door. He called an ambulance and freed the locked-in guards.
Jones said the prison was placed under a lockdown after the escape. ILLUSTRATION: ASSOCIATED PRESS photo
Officials look for fingerprints on a Jeep stolen after five
prisoners escaped Friday near Harrisonburg. The inmates rushed
two guards, locked them up and beat two other officers before
fleeing in a guard's Jeep that was later abandoned along Interstate
81.
WHO ESCAPED
Jim Jones, Department of Corrections spokesman, said the escaped
inmates are:
George E. Cozino, 21, serving a sentence of 13 years for grand
larceny in Richmond and Henrico County.
Wayne C. Anderson, 21, serving a sentence of 13 years for
statutory burglary, grand larceny and driving on a suspended license
in Winchester and Frederick County.
Wayne G. Weis, 20, serving a sentence of 15 years for breaking
and entering, grand larceny and statutory burglary in Northumberland
and Hanover counties.
Phillip W. Hayes, 19, serving a sentence of 4 years for
possession of cocaine in Richmond.
KEYWORDS: PRISON ESCAPE
by CNB