A man escaped from Maple Ridge prison last month after scaling a fence is back in custody.
Vancouver Police arrested Ajit Singh just after 7 p.m. Tuesday in the 100 block of East Hasting Street.
Singh fled from the Fraser Regional Correctional Center on 256th Street around noon on April 16.
Surveillance video captured him climbing over a 3.6-metre tall, wired fence that surrounds the prison compound and making his way through a forest.
The 21-year-old was an open custody inmate. Open custody classifications are reserved for inmates who do not have violent criminal histories. They participate in community-based work crews, are nearing the end of their sentence and are preparing to transition back into the community.
When he escaped on April 16, Singh had only served five days of a month-long sentence for obstructing a peace officer, imposed on him April 11.
“I want to thank the Vancouver Police Department officers for their assistance in arresting Mr. Singh,” said RCMP Supt. Dave Walsh. “Although we did not believe he was a violent threat to the public’s safety, it is reassuring that he is now off the streets and is not a danger to citizens at all.”
Singh is being held in police custody until arrangements can be made for his return to a correctional centre.
Singh was being housed in a temporary “tent” structure constructed in 2008 to alleviate capacity issues at the men’s prison.
