Local

Convicted felon walks out of King County Jail, on the run for weeks

Only KIRO 7 has uncovered a public safety breach at the King County Correctional Facility in downtown Seattle.

Last month, repeat felon Joseph Matthew Tremato was able to simply walk out of the facility on Fifth Avenue and escape.

Tremato, who lists a homeless shelter on South Washington Street as his address in multiple police reports, was re-arrested September 12 and is still behind bars.

However, it is not known what, if any, crimes he may have committed while on the run.

KIRO 7 requested an on-camera interview this week with William Hayes, Director of Adult and Juvenile Detention for King County, to ask how this happened.

Scroll down to continue reading

More news from KIRO 7

DOWNLOAD OUR FREE NEWS APP

Those interview requests were denied. But in a phone call, Hayes confirmed the incident is under investigation and that some changes have already been made because of Tremato’s escape.

Hayes also said he had “never seen anything like it” in his 34-years with the jail.

The jail director declined to reveal any more information.

However, KIRO 7 learned Tremato has an extensive criminal history that includes convictions for vehicular assault, assault, illegal drugs, escape.

According to documents, at the time of his escape Tremato had been arrested and booked into jail on August 18th. He was charged in King County Superior Court with three felony-level burglaries for allegedly breaking into two Capitol Hill apartment complexes and Pike Place Market housing.

Tremato was also charged with three counts of methamphetamine possession.

On August 22, Tremato “escaped the King County Jail by concealing himself among other inmates,” and the entire process was captured on jail surveillance cameras, according to a report by Sergeant Schneider, a criminal investigator with the King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention.

Schneider’s report reveals the surveillance video shows Tremato "following another inmate out of his assigned housing area without permission when that inmate was called out for a clinic appointment."

"Other inmates had been called out of their housing areas and were being staged in the plastic chairs in anticipation of being released” so Tremato sat with them.

"When the escorting officer calls for the released inmates to step out of the wing, Tremato follows along with the group even though he has not been called for release."

On the video, according to documents, "Tremato hides his face from the camera ... as he accompanies the released inmates."  Tremato can then be seen following the other inmates into the release area.

"The other inmates are called out individually to be fingerprinted, Tremato is not called out and remains with the soon to be released inmates."

Tremato then follows the other inmates as they receive their clothes and property, but "Tremato does not ask for his clothing" according to Schneider’s investigation.  Instead he "obtains clothing presumably from the trash or other inmates and discards his jail uniform."

Tremato then "follows the group of now released inmates out of the secure perimeter" and "again hides his face from the cameras."

The documents reveal, one hour and fifteen minutes after first leaving his assigned housing area, “Tremato is seen on camera running from the front lobby area of the KCCF, he turns right and sprints northbound on 5th Avenue until he is out of view” of jail cameras.

For three weeks Tremato evaded capture while taunting police on social media. In a post dated the day before his re-arrest, Tremato wrote: “Well my beloved Seattle. It (sic) another day of try to get the bad boy.  Wish me luck and f --- the police.”

On September 12th, Tremato was apprehended in possession of 8 grams of methamphetamine and suspected crack cocaine, according to court documents.

A new felony charge of second-degree escape has been added to Tremato's other pending felony charges.

Hayes refused to say how long it took for jail employees to realize Tremato was gone; that is one of the details still being investigated.

KIRO 7 also requested comment about the incident from King County Executive Dow Constantine. His spokesman, Alex Fryer, responded via email: "I know you've talked to Willie Hayes today. At the moment, he is speaking for the County on this issue.”