DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
At police headquarters yesterday, Sgt. Ben Pabillano showed the Honda Civic carjacked by the escapees.
A task force made up of more than 100 law enforcement officers scoured Oahu last night for three escaped prison inmates with violent criminal histories. A massive search continues
» The 3 fugitives
for 3 violent inmates
» Escapees have dangerous historiesBy Nelson Daranciang and Rod Antone
ndaranciang@starbulletin.com | rantone@starbulletin.comHonolulu police officials said they searched Halawa, parts of Pearl City and the Kaneohe-Hauula area for hours looking for Albert Batalona, 27, Warren Elicker, 25, and David Scribner, 20. All three were in their cells for a 1:30 a.m. head count yesterday but were missing for the 4 a.m. count, prison officials said.
After the discovery, a lockdown of the prison was ordered.
By the time prison officials notified police of the escape, officers were responding to a 3:37 a.m. carjacking at Stadium Mall in Halawa.
The victim there identified Batalona as one of the car assailants. The car was later found in the Hauula Kai Shopping Center at 7:55 a.m.
Prison warden Nolan Espinda declined to speculate on how the three fled, saying an investigation is underway.
Espinda said they did not escape by going out the front cell doors or a small window. He also said they had to scale a 16-foot fence topped with razor wire.A source told the Star-Bulletin that the three escaped by tearing out the toilets in the cells.
Prison officials, however, would only say that some damage was found to the cell occupied by Batalona and one shared by Elicker and Scribner.
"Measures are being taken to shut an area that proved to be vulnerable," said state interim Public Safety Director James Propotnick, who described the escape as was "well-planned and well-orchestrated."
"We are working to determine who helped them," he said.
Prison warden Nolan Espinda said prison staff was making repairs after finding breaches, which he described as structural problems.
Despite initial police reports that power surges from yesterday morning's storm enabled the inmates to escape, Espinda said there was no power failure at the prison during the thunder and lightning storm.
Prison officials said all three escapees had been assigned to the high-security Special Needs Facility because of their long prison terms.
Batalona had his own cell, while Elicker and Scribner shared a cell next to Batalona's.
DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI@STARBULLETIN.COM
Jim Propotnik, state director of public safety, left, and Nolan Espinda, warden of the Halawa prison, talked about the escapees yesterday in a news conference.
The Special Needs Facility was designed to hold 90 inmates with provisions to hold up to 132 inmates. At the time of yesterday's escape, there were 162 inmates housed there.
Espinda indicated that Elicker and Scribner should not have been held in one cell. "It is a symptom of overcrowding that we have two people in a cell designed for one," he said.
The prison's medium security facility also is overcrowded. It was designed as a 496-bed addition to the high-security facility with the ability to hold 996 beds. Yesterday, there were 1,106 inmates in the medium-security facility.
Espinda said there was an escape from the medium-security facility in 1989. Yesterday's escape was the first from the Special Needs Facility, he said.
According to a source close to the investigation, Batalona allegedly left an angry and threatening letter behind in his cell. The source said in the letter Batalona blamed society in general and the judicial system in particular for the problems in his life.
Batalona is serving a life term for shooting at a police officer in a daring 1999 Kahala bank robbery. During sentencing Batalona blamed his childhood and criticized the media and his trial.
Elicker has 13 felony convictions for armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary and auto theft. He is serving two consecutive 20-year prison terms for two separate 2001 kidnappings and robberies.
Scribner has seven felony convictions for robbery, escape and drug promotion. He is serving a 10-year prison term for a failed escape from the Oahu Community Correctional Center last May involving him and another inmate hijacking a food service van at the prison.
Police and prison officials said all three fugitives should be considered dangerous and should not be approached.
Anyone who sees Batalona, Elicker or Scribner are advised to call 911. Anyone with information about the three fugitives are asked to call police or CrimeStoppers at 955-8300 or *CRIME by cellular telephone.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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The 3 fugitives
COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT
David Scribner
Sentenced to 10 years for robbery and escape in October 2002. Has seven felony convictions for escape, promoting dangerous drugs and robbery.>> Age: 20
>> Height: 5 feet, 7 inches
>> Weight: 170 pounds
>> Of note: Tattoo of Asian character on right shoulder.
COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT
Albert R. Batalona
Sentenced to life without parole for the armed robbery of the American Savings Bank in Kahala in July 1999.>> Age: 27
>> Height: 5 feet, 9 inches
>> Weight: 195 pounds
>> Of note: Multiple tattoos including bird on right forearm, man's face on right upper arm, spider web on right elbow, and woman on left forearm.
COURTESY HONOLULU POLICE DEPARTMENT
Warren Elicker
Sentenced to 20 years in prison for armed robbery in November 2001. Has 13 felony convictions for armed robbery, kidnapping, burglary and auto theft.>> Age: 25
>> Height: 5 feet, 8 inches
>> Weight: 175 pounds
>> Of note: Multiple tattoos including Old English letters on neck, Rockafella Boy on upper left arm, nature scenes and letters K and B on right upper arm, Hawaiian Islands map on chest, and KALIHI written on left calf.
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While much of the attention of yesterday's prison escape centered on high-profile bank robber Albert Batalona, police and prosecutors note that the other two escapees have a total of 20 felony convictions and should also be considered dangerous. Escapees have
dangerous historiesBy Debra Barayuga
dbarayuga@starbulletin.comEscapee Warren Elicker has been convicted 17 times, with 13 of those felonies. He was serving two consecutive 20-year terms for a home invasion robbery in Punaluu and a carjacking from Ala Moana Center in 2001. He was ordered to serve at least a minimum 13 years and four months in each of those cases because he is a repeat offender.
Deputy prosecutor Douglas Chin, who handled two cases against Elicker, had asked the court to sentence him to extended terms. Chin said he is concerned Elicker is capable of going after anybody in their home or in broad daylight, as was shown by his latest convictions.
Elicker and a 17-year-old male had talked their way into the home of an elderly Punaluu resident, bound and gagged him and his wife, robbed them, then fled in the couple's two cars. They threatened to kill the couple if they called police.
Less than a week earlier, Elicker had forced his way into a young man's car at Ala Moana, threatened the driver with a screwdriver and ordered him to drive him around and withdraw money from an ATM. He later allowed the man to leave but took his car.
Defense attorney Valerie Vargo had opposed extended terms, saying it was tantamount to "throwing away the key." She had argued that Elicker has had a drug problem since his early teens and grew up in a violent household where he witnessed his parents doing drugs.
The court sentenced Elicker to two consecutive 20-year terms with a mandatory minimum of 13 years and 4 months. The state requested he serve the full 20 years. The Hawaii Paroling Authority set his minimum at 13 years and 4 months, said Tommy Johnson, paroling authority administrator.
Elicker had been originally placed on parole in connection with other convictions on Nov. 1, 2000. He violated parole and was returned to prison April 6, 2001. It was while he was in prison that authorities learned he had committed other crimes while free.
Escapee David Scribner, meanwhile, has seven felony convictions, according to police, and has tried to make a run for freedom before.
He had been sentenced in October to 10 years for second-degree robbery and first-degree attempted escape for assaulting a prison cook.
According to court records, he and another inmate were helping prison cook Fernando Yadao load food trays on a Public Safety van within the Oahu Community Correctional Center on May 16, when they attempted to escape. Yadao was backing the van closer to the loading dock when Scribner reached in, grabbed Yadao by the neck and held him in a choke hold, records showed.
The two struggled, allowing inmate Kenneth Kaleikini to jump into the van and drive off. Kaleikini rammed an inner perimeter gate but got stuck after he drove into a six-foot security pit.
Scribner pleaded guilty to second-degree robbery and first-degree attempted escape and was sentenced to 10 years on each count.
The Hawaii Paroling Authority set his minimum at four years, which was to expire on Oct. 4, 2006, Johnson said.
About a year ago, he was arrested for selling Ecstasy and methamphetamine to an undercover policeman. He was sentenced to 10 years, with a mandatory minimum of six months in that case.
