MASON, Ohio — An inmate who escaped from an Ohio prison died early Tuesday after an hours-long standoff with authorities, according to multiple reports.
Officials said Thomas Cromwell, 27, died after barricading himself in a hotel room in Mason with a woman that he had taken as a hostage, WXIX and the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Earlier, authorities said Cromwell was one of two men wanted following an escape from the River City Correctional Facility in Hamilton County.
🚨 We are asking for the public's help in locating 2 men who escaped from the River City Correctional Center.
— Hamilton County Sheriff's Office (@hcso_org) July 11, 2022
Shawn Black and Thomas Cromwell both have warrants issued for their arrest. Please share and call 513.352.3040 if you have any information on their location. #HCSO pic.twitter.com/wIrHRNSBqx
Here are the latest updates:
Update 1:55 p.m. EDT July 12: The Warren County Coroner’s Office confirmed that Thomas Cromwell died in the standoff that began Monday, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer and WKRC.
The coroner, Russell Uptegrove, told WXIX that Cromwell was shot by police as officers attempted to rescue a woman that Cromwell had taken as hostage.
“He had somebody in the room with him,” the coroner told the news station. “It went on for a while and then they made the decision to go in and rescue her.”
Officials with the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigations are investigating the incident, according to the Enquirer.
Update 8:22 a.m. EDT July 12: According to WCPO-TV, the standoff appeared to end about 2 a.m. Tuesday, several hours after escaped River City Correctional Center inmate Thomas Cromwell, 27, barricaded himself in a room at the Baymont Inn in Mason, authorities said. Reporters with WCPO and WKRC-TV saw authorities walking out of the building with a handcuffed woman shortly thereafter.
No additional details, including the inmate’s status, were immediately available.
Original report: Police and tactical units swarmed an Ohio hotel where an escaped inmate barricaded himself inside a room Monday afternoon.
According to the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office, detectives went to the Baymont Inn to serve warrants for Thomas Cromwell’s arrest at around 3:30 p.m. EDT. When Cromwell refused to surrender, the sheriff’s office called in the Mason Police Department and Warrant County SWAT to assist, WCPO-TV reported.
Cromwell, 27, is one of two inmates who escaped from a broken window at the River City Correctional Center in Camp Washington early Saturday, WLWT reported.
Breaking: The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office just confirmed the subject of the SWAT situation at the Baymont by Wyndham in Mason is River City escapee Thomas Cromwell. River City Correctional Center is not managed by Hamilton County, but HCSO was leading the search. @WLWT pic.twitter.com/nFTpQsBqAy
— Jatara McGee WLWT (@jatara_) July 11, 2022
Corrections staff realized Cromwell and Shawn Black, 29, were missing when they discovered bedding and clothes molded into the shape of a person in Cromwell’s bed that morning, WCPO reported.
According to the TV station, hotel guests said an employee moved door-to-door, evacuating people from the Baymont Inn at around 3 p.m. Monday.
“I’ve never seen anything like this — down in the city (is) more where you’d expect a situation like this,” Samantha Brockman, who was trying to check in as the SWAT situation unfolded, told WCPO.
Breaking: SWAT situation unfolding at the Baymont by Wyndham in Mason. Unclear what prompted the response. Guests have been evacuated from the hotel. We can see at least one person still inside a room and occasionally looking out the window. Next live update at 6 only on @WLWT pic.twitter.com/TDPjjfItzc
— Jatara McGee WLWT (@jatara_) July 11, 2022
According to WLWT, police have confirmed that at least one other person is inside the hotel room with Cromwell, but it remained unclear late Monday if that person is there voluntarily or being held against their will.
No injury reports had been confirmed by 11:30 p.m. EDT.
“We want to reiterate that Mr. Cromwell’s escape from River City Correctional Center was not under the supervision of the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office,” spokesperson Kyla Woods told WCPO, adding, “We were notified and asked to investigate the incident.”
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