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Man tells Melissa Hipolit what escaped inmate did inside his Richmond home: 'Lucky I wasn't hurt'

Posted at 4:10 PM, Aug 17, 2023
and last updated 2023-08-17 16:10:47-04

RICHMOND, Va. -- As the search continues for an inmate who escaped Department of Corrections’ custody while receiving medical treatment at St. Mary's Hospital in Henrico on Saturday morning, a Richmond man has come forward to share his encounter with escapee Naseem Roulack.

The 70-year-old man, who asked to remain anonymous for safety reasons, lives on Wythe Avenue, about one mile from the hospital over the Henrico-Richmond line.

"[Roulack] took the keys to my Buick, $111 cash, a credit card, and a driver's license," the man told CBS 6 reporter Melissa Hipolit. "I'm just lucky that I wasn't hurt."

The man said Roulack, 21, of Woodbridge, broke into his home through a basement window, walked up the stairs, took what he wanted, and left.

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The man slept through the entire ordeal and awoke confused as to what happened.

"I go wait a minute, where are my hat and keys?" he said. "My father had Alzheimer's and I've always worried about it."

The man found a clue when he discovered the hospital gown Roulack was wearing during his escape from custody on his living room floor.

"When I touched it, it was sopping wet," he said. "I picked it up with two fingers and threw it on the back porch."

At that point, the man knew nothing about the hospital escape and called the police.

"I was freaked," he said about the situation. "I didn't know what [the gown] was for."

When police arrived, they shared information about the escape and search for Roulack.

"He escaped from two [guards]," the man said with astonishment. "How did he end up here?"

Naseem Roulack  | Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Henrico County
Naseem Roulack | Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Henrico County

The man whose home was broken into has concerns and more questions.

"I'm mad that he got away from them," he said. "There's got to be accountability, there has to be."

He is also concerned that, as far as he could tell, the City of Richmond never alerted neighbors about the escape.

Henrico County did alert neighbors, but that alert came about three hours after the 5:47 a.m. escape.

"That's pretty late, don't you think?" he said. "By that time, he could have made it all the way downtown."

Neither the City of Richmond nor Henrico County has answered questions about why an alert to neighbors was either sent hours after the escape or never sent at all.

The U.S. Marshals Service has offered $5,000 for information that leads to Roulack's capture.

Roulack was in prison serving a 13-year sentence for aggravated malicious wounding, grand larceny, and hit and run.

The U.S. Marshals Service can be contacted at 1-877-WANTED2, or tips can be submitted via the USMS Tips app.

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Depend on CBS 6 News and WTVR.com for in-depth coverage of this important local story. Anyone with more information can email newstips@wtvr.com to send a tip.

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