The Guilford County Sheriff’s Office did not notify the public after the escape of a 32-year-old male inmate charged with a violent crime, and, when asked directly by WXII News if an inmate had escaped, told the station’s reporters that “An inmate did not escape from either one of our detention centers.”
In a story that aired on Friday, Sept, 20, WXII stated, “WXII’s 12 investigates repeatedly reached out to the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office Thursday after a tip came into our newsroom about an inmate escaping the jail in Greensboro.”
WXII stated that the Sheriff’s Office “repeatedly denied” that an inmate had escaped.
Several solid sources also contacted the Rhino Times Wednesday, Sept. 18 and Thursday, Sept. 19, saying that an escape from the jail in Greensboro had occurred and they were 100 percent certain the story was true. They also provided the inmate’s name, charges, method of escape and other details that sounded extremely convincing. But it was a baffling two days for the Rhino Times because, while the Sheriff’s Office was flat out denying an inmate had escaped, there was overwhelming and mounting evidence that in fact an inmate had.
Once the escapee had been caught and the Sheriff’s Office knew that the story would come out, the Sheriff’s Office finally called a news conference to inform the public.
On Monday, Sept. 16, at about 4:30 p.m., Carlos Geovany “Yobani” Diaz-Gomez escaped from the jail by using the ID card of another inmate who was scheduled to be released on that Monday.
Diaz-Gomez was being held on a large bond for the following charges:
- Misdemeanor Assault on a Female under NC General Statute 15A-543(C) with a $50,000 secured bond (emanating from Forsyth County charges)
- Misdemeanor Driving While Impaired under NC General Statute 20-138.1 with a $100 secured bond (Guilford County)
- Failure to Appear – Felony Common Law Robbery under NC General Statute 15A-543(B).
The big question is why the Guilford County Sheriff’s Office never informed the public and lied about the escape when asked.
One amazed law enforcement officer pointed out to the Rhino Times “This escapee was dangerous. He was charged with a violent crime – assault on a female.”
But he escaped from the jail on Monday, and the public wasn’t informed until Friday. One source familiar with the search said that Guilford County detention officers didn’t realize Diaz-Gomez was gone until Wednesday, and at that time, the Sheriff’s office quietly put out word to sheriff’s deputies and area law enforcement agencies to be on the lookout for Diaz-Gomez.
The warrant initiated for Diaz-Gomez on Wednesday, Sept. 18, was for the following charges:
- Felony Escape from a Local Jail under NC General Statute 14-256.
- Felony Identity Theft under NC General Statute 14-113.20
The most obvious response when trying to catch an escapee is to follow the same procedure the Sheriff’s Office does when it’s looking for others suspected to have committed a felony: Send out a press release warning the public and get the suspect’s picture plastered all over media sites and newscasts.
That would warn the public that the escapee was on the loose as well as help the authorities recapture him faster since his picture would be seen on news sites, in newspapers and on television news.
Instead, the department only informed the public of the incident at a press conference on Friday afternoon, Sept. 20, after the escapee had been found and re-arrested.
Not only did the Office not inform the public, but, when a news organization asked them directly whether an inmate had escaped, they stated flatly and repeatedly that no inmate had escaped.
On Friday, Sept. 20, Diaz-Gomez was located in Winston-Salem and now he’s back in custody at the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro under no bond until his first appearance hearing on Monday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m.
WXII pressed the Sheriff’s Office spokesperson on why the Office denied that an inmate had escaped.
They got the following response: “This was an active investigation. There are times when releasing information might compromise an investigation and apprehension.”
That statement does not seem to make much sense because there is no clarity on how informing the public that a man charged with a violent crime had escaped would hinder his apprehension. It would certainly help, rather than hinder, his capture.
Even if that statement from the Sheriff’s Office were true, the Office should never lie to the public or the media. It is crucial that the public always be able to trust the statements coming from law enforcement.
If the Sheriff’s Office does not wish to reveal some information, there are plenty of ways to respond besides directly lying about it. They may, for instance, simply not respond to calls and emails, or they may explain that they cannot offer an answer at the present time.
