UPDATE: Prison Escapee Found; Faces 5 Years

By David Kvasnicka

Junior Jorju. Photo courtesy Hawaii Dept. of Public Safety.

UPDATE 11:30 a.m. 7/14/2014:

Deputy sheriffs acting on a tip located and arrested Junior Jorju Monday at 9:30 a.m. He was hiding in the back parking lot of the Harbor Lights Condominium Complex in Kahului.

A Hawaii Department of Public Safety spokesperson said sheriffs were booking Jorju on a felony escape charge which can carry a 5-year sentence. He is heading back to Maui Community Correctional Center.

Authorities still do not know how Jorju escaped.

Previous post:

An inmate escaped from Maui Community Correctional Center on Saturday, July 12, and has so far evaded re-capture.

The Hawaii Department of Public Safety said that inmate Junior Jorju, 40, was discovered missing during the 9:30 p.m. headcount. Jorju was last accounted for at 7 p.m.

A facility lockdown was called and a search of the interior and exterior of the facility was conducted, the department said. Maui police were also notified.

The method of his escape is currently unknown to authorities.

The department said that Jorju is considered “community custody” which is the lowest risk level. He is sentenced as a misdeameant for criminal contempt of court, failure to appear, and driving without a license. He was serving 14 days, starting July 7, 2014 and ending July 20, 2014.

Maui police have since charged Jorju with second-degree escape, which typically carries a 10-year sentence according to a public safety official. The lesser-degree charge is due to the absence of violence involved in the escape.

The Maui police’s Criminal Investigation Division has been assigned to the case, who are currently investigating.

Jorju is described by police as a male Micronesian, 5’4″ and 135 pounds with black hair and brown eyes. He has a black ink outline tattoo of a heart on his chest, and an unidentified tattoo on his left arm. Jorju was last seen wearing green prison scrubs.

He also goes by aliases “JJ” and Ken Taylor.

Police ask the public to not try to detain Jorju if he is sighted, but instead call 911.