Atlanta police are searching for a woman they say provided them an alias before escaping custody while waiting for medical treatment at a hospital.
Amy Hightower, 53, escaped from Atlanta City Detention Center staff around 12:26 p.m. Tuesday, FOX 5 Atlanta reported. She was arrested the day prior during a traffic stop when she allegedly gave officers a false name due to having several warrants for shoplifting in surrounding jurisdictions.
Hightower was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment before taking off, police said.
"Obviously, whoever was assigned to watch this person wasn’t watching them," Atlanta City Council member Michael Bond told FOX 5. The TV station reported the incident is the second in less than a year when an inmate in custody at the facility slipped away.
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"The number one place people escape from is Grady, usually with the help of the people who work at Grady," Bond said during a city's public safety committee meeting Monday. He is calling for Atlanta correction officers to be at the facility for security.
"Like most departments, hiring and retention have been challenging for us," Interim Corrections Chief Elder Dancy told city council members, according to FOX 5.
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Grady officials told FOX 5 the existing policy for inmates under treatment at the hospital is that the "custodial law enforcement agency must have one-to-one oversight of them at all times."
Atlanta police did not say what medical treatment Hightower was awaiting while at the hospital. The investigation into her escape is underway, and police told FOX 5 there is no current threat to the public.
Hightower will be charged with giving a false name and escaping once she is located.
