How a Fugitive Survived for 48 Days After Jailbreak

When you hear the word, ‘jailbreak’, you might imagine a criminal hiding in the woods, trying to escape the eyes of the police. The key trick is to stay under the radar, unseen. However, cases of recent jailbreaks seem to show the opposite.

Escapees are openly finding their way out of prisons, drawing the attention of not only the officers present at the event but also people around the globe. Recently, the notorious French robber, Rédoine Faïd, shocked the world with his dramatic escape from the Réau Prison in Paris by flying away in a helicopter. He managed to stay out of jail for three months before he was caught asleep. But this is not the only recent case of wild jailbreaks.

In Japan, on the night of August 12, rape and robbery suspect Junya Hida kicked down an acrylic wall during his lawyer’s visit and escaped from the Tondabayashi prison in Osaka prefecture. The 30-year-old fugitive managed to stay on the run for 48 days, committing numerous robberies on his way. He was captured 464 kilometers away from where he originally escaped.

The most shocking part of the jailbreak was not the suspect’s actual escape or the number of days Hida was able to survive for, but the journey of those 48 days. On the first few days, police suspected that Hida was still in the area because of the traces of his thievery. He had stolen a motorbike, which was later used to steal many purses and wallets off of pedestrians. Police also suspected that he met his old friend to ask for help, to which the friend denied. By the third day of his run, he had managed to move to another prefecture.

However, the large proportion of his escape from the prison was on two wheels. He had joined an unnamed man on a cycling journey, claiming that he wanted to travel across Japan on a bicycle. During this journey, the unnamed man uploaded multiple pictures of Hida posing with his face on full display on social media platforms. Hida also left a note for a restaurant waiter, signing off with his real first name. In the pictures, he had completely shaved his hair off, adorned athletic gear that he had stolen, and sat next to his bicycle and fully packed bag. When the pictures arose on the internet, citizens were shocked at his bold and brash attitude.

Personally, with the increasing numbers of brazen jailbreaks, I believe that citizens need to be more careful and aware of the hidden dangers in everyday life. We often do not stop to think about watching for our own safety when we are going for an errand or simply walking home. It may be wise to deliberately walk through a brightly lit street at night or grip onto your bag a little tighter.

For more information, please visit matsubara-city.com, japantimes.co.jp, and bicycling.com.