Japanese authorities have captured a Chinese convict who escaped from a Hiroshima penitentiary wearing only his underwear. It was Japan’s first prison break in more than two decades, with the last being in 1989.Police found Li Guolin, who was serving a 23-year sentence for attempted murder, near an elementary school in the southern Japan city on Friday. He was carrying a knife when he was arrested.
Li is suspected of breaking into a apartment to steal clothes after he jumped the prison walls on Wednesday. According to Japanese media, he also stole a beer while he was there. His DNA was found on a beer can he left behind.
The government’s top spokesman apologized for the escape and vowed tougher measures to keep inmates from breaking out. Li managed to climb over a wall inside the prison campus and then use scaffolding to get over the 16-foot tall outer wall, which was under construction for repairs. Sensors on the wall were turned off because of the repair work.
Li, who was believed to be the leader of a gang of burglars, was convicted in 2005 for shooting at a police officer and stealing a squad car. Nearly 800 officers had been assigned to the hunt for Li.
The escape was the first ever from the Hiroshima prison. Li was sent to the Hiroshima prison in 2008.
