NYC inmate uses bed sheets in daring escape from hospital’s 5th floor
By Carl Samson
August 11, 2023
New York City police are looking for an inmate who managed to flee by using a makeshift rope to scale down a hospital building.
What happened: Yenchun Chen, 44, reportedly escaped from Mount Sinai Beth Israel Hospital in Gramercy Park at around 4:30 p.m. on Wednesday. After asking to take a shower, he tied up some bed sheets and used them to rappel down from a fifth-floor bathroom window.
The aftermath: Chen landed on an air-conditioning unit and climbed a ladder to descend to the ground. He then hailed a yellow taxicab heading southbound on Second Avenue.
A man believed to be Chen was reportedly arrested in New Jersey on Thursday. However, the man turned out to be someone else.
About the suspect: Chen was arrested on July 31 for criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was reportedly hospitalized on Aug. 4 after experiencing a cardiac issue and was under the custody of the Department of Corrections.
Police described Chen as 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighing 250 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes and tattoos on his left arm and left hand. He was last seen wearing a white T-shirt and tan pants. He also wore a hospital bracelet.
Anyone with information on Chen’s whereabouts is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS (8477). Tips may also be submitted via their website or messaging them on Twitter @NYPDTips.
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