Vernon Hills police search for escaped prisoner

Vernon Hills police are continuing to search for a prisoner who escaped from a squad car Thursday evening.

Police apprehended the man on forgery charges at Westfield Hawthorn shopping center. He was sitting in the back seat of the parked squad at the mall when he escaped, said Vernon Hills Sgt. Pat Zimmerman.

"We don't know how. The case is under investigation at this point," he said.

Investigators found out more details about the case when a cabdriver called 90 minutes after the escape to inform them that he drove someone in handcuffs from Vernon Hills to the South Side of Chicago.

Cabdriver Vincent Bennett, 33, said in an interview that he was sent by his company, 303 Taxi, to the 500 block of E. Harvey Lake Circle to pick up a customer. The prisoner apparently used the phone at a home of an elderly couple. Bennett said a shirtless man got into his cab and ducked down into the back seat as they drove near the mall. He then saw the handcuffs.

"I was pretty shaken up when I saw the handcuffs. I didn't know if he had a gun, or if he was going to strangle me with his cuffs," Bennett said.

As they drove, Bennett said his passenger was talkative about how he and four of his buddies were busted for using counterfeit checks at J.C. Penney.

The tall, thin man told Bennett that when he was arrested, he was handcuffed with his hands behind him. He was placed in the back seat of the squad car and was able to wiggle through to get his arms in front of him and then force down the protective window between the front seat and the prisoner. He slid into the front seat and escaped from the unattended squad.

Bennett, who lives in Volo, let the man use his cell phone while driving on the tollway. The man made numerous calls telling people to find him a ride and handcuff keys.

Bennett dropped the passenger off at 510 W. 75th St.

"He jumped into a black Lincoln Navigator. I got the license plate number and called the Vernon Hills police," Bennett said.

He added that the passenger even paid for the 45 minute drive. "It was $138 and he paid me $150 cash. I wasn't going to take a check," he said. "I was shocked he paid the fare."

Vernon Hills police asked Bennett to come in and give a written statement. He said he answered all their questions, but said he refused to put the story in writing.

Vernon Hills police confirmed that they talked to a cabdriver. They say they will have more details about the manhunt Tuesday.

Zimmerman, the police sergeant, said officers know the man's identity.

"We know who he is and we will catch him," he said.