Escaped prisoner faces new charges after being apprehended near Delco courthouse

A prisoner escaped from officers at the Delaware County Courthouse in Media on Thursday morning but was taken back into custody.

Taqwa Wilson, 22, was on the run for 2½ hours after having escaped around 8:30 a.m. prior to entering the courthouse, Delaware County Sheriff Jerry L. Sanders Jr. said during a news conference Thursday morning.

“The citizens of Delaware County are safe, and inmate Wilson has been returned to custody,” Sanders said.

Wilson was apprehended “in the vicinity of the courthouse” a little before 11 a.m., Sanders said. According to court records, Wilson had been charged with receiving stolen property and fleeing police, among other offenses, and was being taken to court for a hearing.

Authorities charged Wilson with escape in connection with the incident Thursday afternoon, court records indicated.

Wilson had been transported to the courthouse Thursday morning from George W. Hill Correctional Facility along with several other prisoners, and was slated to attend a status hearing in his case, according to an affidavit. Video of Wilson’s escape showed him walking away from other prisoners at the courthouse and in between two transport vans, where he went out of the surveillance camera’s frame about 8:35 a.m., the document said.

He reentered the camera’s frame a minute later, and could be seen fleeing a garage through an exit door as a deputy chased him. The district attorney’s office said the video would not be released as an investigation into Wilson’s escape is ongoing.

Kathy Borrelli, a hot dog vendor set up outside the courthouse, said she saw about 10 police officers run out of the front of the building as news broke of the escape.

She said it was a scary scene, especially because she didn’t know exactly what was happening at the time. “Definitely hectic,” she said.

Police were trying to determine how Wilson was able to escape. Officials declined to offer any further details on how the inmate was able to get away and evade police for hours.

“At this point, it’s an active criminal investigation,” Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer told reporters. “Court is going forward as usual. Life in the borough of Media is back to normal.”

As police searched for Wilson, residents in the area were asked to shelter in place, including students at Media Elementary School and Media Providence Friends School.

Barbara Wilson, communications director for the Rose Tree Media School District, said local authorities asked administrators to keep children at Media Elementary indoors as a precaution, and students went about having their normal school day.

Authorities apprehended Wilson just after 10:45 a.m. on Broomall Street in Media, according to the affidavit.

Staff writer Abraham Gutman contributed to this article.