GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — The Guilford County Sheriff's Office shared what happened that led to two inmates being improperly released from jail within three days of each other.
You may remember, on Sept. 20 the GCSO announced that 32-year-old Carlos Diaz-Gomez had been improperly released from the Greensboro jail.
The sheriff's office said Diaz-Gomez used the identity of another inmate to "deceive" corrections officers to get out of the Guilford County Detention Center in Greensboro on Monday, Sept. 16.
Deputies didn't realize he was out until two days later. On Wednesday, Sept. 18, the sheriff's office issued an arrest warrant for escape.
The sheriff's office said releasing the information to the public would have jeopardized the investigation and apprehension of Diaz-Gomez. Gomez was apprehended on Sept. 20, four days after he initially got out.
"Sheriff Rogers acknowledges that the Guilford County Sheriff's Office takes full responsibility for the improper release of Diaz-Gomez which enabled him to escape and will take the appropriate action to prevent this from happening in the future," the sheriff's office said in a news release..
Rogers also said he launched an independent investigation into what happened.
While this was going on, another inmate got out by mistake, according to the sheriff's office. Sheriff Rogers said on Thursday, Sept. 19, Jessie Steed, 38, was mistakenly released. This happened at the High Point Detention Center.
Deputies initially held Steed on trespassing and stalking charges. The sheriff's office said it received notice that those charges were dropped. However, the sheriff's office said a court clerk did not send over a commitment order. It said Steed had an active sentence for felony assault inflicting serious bodily injury.
The sheriff's office said if it had received that order, it would not have released Steed.
High Point police arrested Steed on the same day he got out. He is now back at the jail and is waiting to be moved to a state prison. He will serve between 11 and 23 months.