'Communication breakdown' at prison

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) - Officials with the Federal Correctional Institute at Bastrop said they are investigating a "breakdown in communication" which reportedly caused a delay in notifying the public of two inmate escapes over the weekend.

Leandro Luna, 52, and Adan Chavez, 53, both "walked away" from the facility on Friday.

"We don't have a fence around the part of the prison where those inmates were," said Liz Eskew, prison spokesperson. "They were outside, and we have only one officer on guard there."

That section of the prison is a satellite camp housing 175 male inmates. The camp is about 30 years old, according to Eskew.

"These are minimum security inmates," she explained. "We are continuing the investigation and hope to recapture them soon."

Eskew said inmates have escaped from the facility before, though she could not produce those numbers immediately. She also said there are no surveillance cameras on the grounds.

The prison waited to notify the public of the escapes until two days after they happened. Eskew said officials noticed the pair was missing at 9:15 p.m. Friday during a routine head count. She added that the prison was not aware of the time the inmates actually escaped.

The Lone Star Fugitive Tracking Force, which is heading up the search, said someone spotted Luna in east Austin near MLK Boulevard and Decker Lane. around 8:30 p.m. Friday, about 45 minutes before anyone at the prison noticed the two inmates were missing.

The location of the sighting is about 35 miles away from the prison. Officials said Luna has family living in that area and most likely went there for financial help.

Investigators said on Monday the inmates have most likely left the area, though police are continuing the search by checking bus stations and airports.

They believe Chavez masterminded the escape, and the two could be heading toward his home in the Rio Grande Valley on a path to Mexico.

Both Chavez and Luna were serving federal sentences for drug-related offenses. New charges are pending for their escapes.

"In the future," Eskew said, "we are working to make sure we tell people sooner about something like this. Hopefully, it will be a lot earlier."