Man accused in deadly 2021 Pat's Steaks beating charged in inmate escape
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- There's a new twist in the escape of two inmates from a prison in Philadelphia after a second person is charged with helping the men escape.
Five days after 18-year-old Ameen Hurst and 24-year-old Nasir Grant escaped from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center, investigators continue piecing together what happened, how it happened and who was involved.
On Friday, 35-year-old Jose Flores-Huerta, who is already incarcerated for allegedly participating in a fatal beating outside Pat's Steaks in 2021, has been charged with criminal conspiracy and escape for his role in assisting Hurst and Grant's escape.
"Anyone else that is involved in this will also be taken to justice," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said.
On Thursday night, the U.S. Marshall's Fugitive Task Force arrested Grant, without incident, in the city's Strawberry Mansion section.
@USMS_Philly investigators arrested Nasir Grant, 24, at approximately 1030pm in the 2800 block of W. Dauphin Street in Philadelphia. @PhillyPolice sought Grant for escaping a Philadelphia prison on May 7th. Marshals still seek Ameen Hurst, 18, who is still at large. pic.twitter.com/mNPNFzUjGM
— USMS Philadelphia (@USMS_Philly) May 12, 2023
"A male resembling Nasir Grant came out of a residence, wearing full female Muslim garb and a head covering," said Supervisory Deputy Marshall Robert Clark. "That gentleman piqued our interest, he got into a vehicle, we followed that vehicle over here to the 2800 block of West Dauphin Street and a felony vehicle stop was conducted.
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"We got him and we're gonna get the other guy," Mayor Kennedy said.
Also, on Wednesday morning, U.S. Marshalls arrested 21-year-old Zianni Stalling, who is accused of assisting Hurst and Grant's escape as well.
Meanwhile, the District Attorney's Office Special Investigative Unit, which investigates potential misconduct and corruption, is now involved in the case.
"Something went wrong there, for sure, no doubt about it. It's either incompetence or something else, but we will find out what it is and we will assign the responsibility and blame to the appropriate people, Mayor Kennedy added.
While investigators work to piece together the puzzle of the city's first prison escape since 2010, capturing Ameen Hurst -- who was incarcerated and charged with four murders, but remains at large -- is priority number one.
"Every individual in our task force, every investigator, has worked about 16 to 18 hours a day. And, with the arrest of Nasir Grant, this will allow us to focus on Ameen Hurst," Clark said.
A $25,000 reward is being offered for information that leads to Hurst's arrest. He is described as 6'0 and weighing 140 pounds.