Guard helped girls
escape, police say

The suspect quit his job at the prison
after working just 1 day

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By Rod Antone
rantone@starbulletin.com

Honolulu police say a prison guard aided the escape of 10 juvenile female inmates from a Windward juvenile correctional facility last month.

The 31-year-old male suspect was arrested at his home in Kailua yesterday for allegedly being an accomplice to the Aug. 31 escape, police said.

So far all but two of the escapees have been recaptured by police.

At the time, police said the suspect and another guard were overpowered by the girls.

The suspect's attorney, David Gierlach, could not be reached for comment last night.

However attorney Michael Green, who is representing the other guard in a separate civil matter, said his client was shocked to hear about the arrest.

"She couldn't believe it," said Green last night.

"It was his first day there. She was just introducing him around. Those girls beat the hell out of her (Green's client) and she says they were all over this guy as well."

Green said he may file a lawsuit on behalf of the female guard because of the assault.

Child & Family Services, a private agency, employs the guards under contract with the state Office of Youth Services, which runs the prison.

On Aug. 31, police reported that 10 girls at the Hawaii Youth Correctional Facility at 42-477 Kalanianaole Highway, overpowered two guards -- the suspect and Green's client -- then ripped telephone wires from the wall, took guard radios, facility and van keys, and fled.

Police said they escaped in a van that was later recovered parked on Keolu Drive in Enchanted Lake.

Police arrested five of the escapees within a week, three of whom had been incarcerated because of violent crimes.

Police said the guard who was arrested did not appear to have a connection to any of the girls but said they had evidence that he may have helped them escape.

According to police, the suspect quit after his first day on the job.

Green said his client believes the man is innocent and that others at the correctional facility knew about the possibility of an escape by the girls beforehand but did nothing to stop it.

"They confiscated a weapon from one of the girls the Thursday before the escape and knew that they were planning to escape," he said.

"These people had no training to deal with this sort of thing."