18-year-old charged for helping escaped Philadelphia prisoner Shane Pryor flee: police
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- An 18-year-old is charged with helping Philadelphia escaped prisoner Shane Pryor flee and giving him a ride, authorities confirmed to CBS News Philadelphia on Friday.
Michael Diggs, 18, is charged with hindering apprehension, escape, criminal use of a communication facility and criminal conspiracy.
Pryor, a 17-year-old inmate at the Juvenile Justice Services Center, broke away from staff in a parking lot at Children's Hospital of Philadelphia on Wednesday afternoon after being taken there for a hand injury.
Police say Diggs picked Pryor up in a cream-colored Ford on Wednesday after he escaped from custody. It's not clear when or where the pickup happened.
Later on Wednesday, Philadelphia police say they stopped the Ford and detained Diggs for questioning.
Sources told CBS News Philadelphia Pryor wasn't restrained or handcuffed en route to the hospital before he got out of a vehicle and fled.
In a statement to CBS News Philadelphia, a spokesperson for the Philadelphia Department of Human Services said, "It is standard practice for youth to be handcuffed and shackled when they are being transported. Juvenile detention counselors accompany youth to appointments and are not armed. A minimum of two Juvenile Detention Counselors are assigned to transport youth. In this particular case, two Juvenile Detention Counselors transported the one youth. Other matters and details regarding this incident, including the use of handcuffs, are being investigated."
The search for Pryor is now in its third day.
Pryor is still awaiting trial for the Oct. 10, 2020 murder of Tanya Harris in the Holmesburg section of Northeast Philadelphia. Pryor's mother has maintained that a co-defendant in the case, not Pryor, was the shooter.
She and Paul Dimaio, Pryor's attorney, have both said he is running because he is scared and believe he is innocent.
Pryor's mother and lawyer say they haven't heard from him.
Pryor faces murder, conspiracy and weapons charges in the shooting that occurred when he was 14 years old.
On Thursday, the U.S. Marshals Service released video showing Pryor inside the CHOP Hub for Clinical Collaboration on Civic Center Boulevard - across the street from the parking lot where Pryor got away.
Murder escapee, Shane Pryor, escaped from his escorting staff yesterday at 11:51 am and 5 minutes later was observed in the lobby of the Hub for Clinical Collaboration building. By 12:29 pm, investigators believe Pryor had obtained transportion out of University City. pic.twitter.com/yVpXFeFDcm
— U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia (@USMS_Philly) January 25, 2024
Sources previously told CBS News Philadelphia's Joe Holden that Pryor contacted someone and got a ride from them, and they dropped him in the area of Broad Street and Glenwood Avenue around 6:15 p.m. Wednesday.
We're working to confirm if this person facing charges Friday is that same person.
Police say Pryor is 5 feet 7 inches tall, 150 pounds, and was last seen wearing a blue sweatshirt.
A $5,000 reward is being offered for any information leading to his arrest.
Anyone with information on his whereabouts can call 911 or call tips to 1-877-WANTED-2.