iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — A prisoner set to be deported escaped from Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents at JFK Airport in Queens, and fled by hailing a cab, security footage shows.
The man in custody was being held because of a weapons arrest. He ran away from agents in Terminal 4 around 8:30 p.m. Tuesday, according to WABC-TV in New York.
The prisoner allegedly fled when agents removed his handcuffs so he could pass through a security screening and be escorted onto a plane.
He was last seen on surveillance footage escaping in a taxi.
The Port Authority released a statement after the incident: “An individual being transported by federal immigration officials at JFK Airport last night eluded custody during transfer to a connecting flight. A check of video cameras by authorities showed the individual left the airport in a cab. Federal authorities would know if he is still at large. He was not taken into custody in the airport by [Port Authority Police Department].”
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