David Warren Riggins
FRESNO – Law enforcement agencies are on the hunt for an inmate who was accidentally released from the Fresno County Jail after he switched his ID bracelet with another inmate.
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office said that 19-year-old David Warren Riggins of Fresno was arrested on September 19 on an outstanding warrant for a misdemeanor charge of failing to obey an order from a juvenile court. He is also a registered sex offender.
Riggins was sentenced to be released from jail next year, on October 28, 2016, but managed to find his way out at around 8 a.m. on Wednesday.
Although there is currently an investigation as to how Riggins was able to get out, the early indications are that he and another inmate devised an escape plan while they were housed in the same jail pod, according to the sheriff’s office. Riggins and the other inmate, who was scheduled to be released on Wednesday after serving his time, swapped identification bracelets, the sheriff’s office said.
“Both inmates memorized each other’s personal information in order to be able to accurately answer back any questions asked by correctional officers,” the sheriff’s office said.
Riggins is described as black, 6 feet tall and around 135 pounds. The 24-year-old inmate he allegedly swapped bracelets with is also black and of similar height and weight to Riggins, the sheriff’s office said.
The other inmate remains in jail and now faces an additional charge for aiding the escape of an inmate.
Anyone with information on Riggins’ location can call the sheriff’s dispatch line at (559) 600-3111 or Crime Stoppers at (559) 498-STOP.
