Transport van design flaw could have allowed for prisoner’s escape in Waltham, sheriff says

A prisoner who escaped from a transport vehicle on I-95 in Waltham Monday night might have taken advantage of a design flaw in the van, Plymouth County Sheriff Joseph McDonald said Tuesday. 

Victor de Moura-Pereira, 20, of Framingham, escaped from a transit van at around 6 p.m. Monday while it was stuck in heavy traffic on I-95 southbound. He was initially arrested in Framingham Sunday for allegedly assaulting a police officer, officials said. 

“That individual was able to get that partition, as it were, manipulated and moved in such a way that they were able to physically squeeze themselves out of the passenger compartment of the vehicle and into the rear of the vehicle,” McDonald told reporters on Tuesday. “Moura-Pereira, who was not locked to the walls, got himself into the back of the van and was able to pull the emergency cord to unlock the door and escape.”

Moura-Pereira was taken into custody in the area of Second Avenue and Bear Hill Road in Waltham about 15 minutes after his escape, authorities told Boston 25 News. 

While he was out, Moura-Pereira approached a man who had just gotten off work. After seeing that Moura-Pereira was in handcuffs, the man called the police, he told Boston 25 News. 

McDonald said it was the first time he had dealt with an escape like this in his 20-year tenure as sheriff. 

Numerous assets were deployed in the search for Moura-Pereira Monday night, including the State Police’s air wing, K9, and drone unit.

In addition to existing charges, Moura-Pereira is now also charged with resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. He was taken into custody by ICE and processed in Burlington, Mass., Boston 25 News reported. 

McDonald said the issue was “fixed” and that the office would be notifying law enforcement agencies throughout the country about the defect. 

The incident is still under investigation, McDonald said Tuesday.

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