Manhunt Underway After Armed Prisoner Escapes Virginia Hospital
Fairfax County, Va. police are searching for an accused, armed bank robber who escaped the Inova Fairfax Medical Campus in Falls Church early Tuesday morning. Wossen "Bicycle Bandit" Assaye is wanted for allegedly robbing 12 banks in Northern Virginia and escaping on his bike.
According to the Washington Post, Assaye, 42, was arrested by police last week in connection with the bank robberies. He was taken to the hospital for treatment last Friday after apparently trying to harm himself while custody at Alexandria City Jail.
Police told NBC Washington that around 2 a.m. Tuesday morning, Assaye, 42, overpowered private security officers hired to guard his hospital room, allegedly taking one officer's weapon before fleeing. One shot was reported fired, but no injuries were reported. The hospital was briefly under lockdown while authorities searched for Assaye; police have since given the all-clear.
Hours later, at around 7 a.m. local time, a woman was carjacked miles away from the hospital and identified Assaye to police as her carjacker. Authorities believe Assaye may be in hiding with the help of his girlfriend, whose name has not be released but whose photo has.
Update, 12:06 p.m.: Assaye, the Washington Post reports, has been arrested by police in D.C. after carjacking another vehicle.
