Metro

HOLLIDAYSBURG — The Blair County Prison inmate who escaped from a prison transport van after attending court proceedings in early June waived his right to a preliminary hearing on Friday.

Altoona resident David Daniel Ramos, 49, had all charges against him bound to the Blair County Court of Common Pleas. He is facing single felony counts of escape, intimidating a witness and unlawful use of a computer, as well as single misdemeanor counts of possession of contraband, theft and receiving stolen property bound to the court of common pleas.

The charges stem from a June 4 incident, during which Hollidaysburg police officers received a report of a male in an orange prison jumpsuit and handcuffs running down Wayne Street. Blair County 911 confirmed to officers that prison staff had reported an inmate missing. Ramos was then located on Montgomery Street with a cellphone, pack of cigarettes, matches and court paperwork on his person, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Surveillance footage showed eight inmates entering the transport van at Blair County Central Court about 3:56 p.m. and seven inmates exiting the van before being escorted into the prison by two corrections officers about 4:26 p.m. While the corrections officers were in the prison, Ramos could be seen crawling into the front of the van through a partition window and taking one of the corrections officers’ cellphone and cigarettes. He then crawled back into the rear area of the van, the police report states.

The corrections officers then returned to the van about 4:47 p.m., exited the port and parked the van in a parking garage before returning to the prison on foot. Video surveillance from Aigner’s office showed Ramos walking up the parking garage’s steps, court documents state.

A search of the stolen cellphone showed Ramos sent a photo of himself through Facebook Messenger to an individual with whom he had previously been in a relationship. Officers noted the individual is a victim in a pending aggravated assault and domestic violence case in which Ramos is the defendant, according to the affidavit.

Through their investigation, officers learned Ramos was at Central Court the day he escaped for a preliminary hearing in the assault case and that the victim testified against Ramos. In that case, Ramos is being held on $15,000 bail, while in the escape case, his bail was set at $350,000.

Mirror Staff Writer Rachel Foor is at 814-946-7458.