Suspect apprehended, faces more charges after escape from Peoria police van

A 32-year-old man arrested on aggravated domestic battery charges escaped from a police vehicle Wednesday night in Peoria after he was able to unlock the exterior doors from the inside.

The Peoria Police Department said that at 8:34 p.m., they were transporting Daniel C. Moody to the Peoria County Jail. At the intersection of Main Street and North Parkside Drive, the dashboard alarm sounded in the vehicle, signaling that the rear door was open.

When the officer driving the vehicle took a look, he found that Moody had found a way to leave the vehicle and immediately contacted dispatch. All available officers were enlisted to help search for Moody, and he was found and detained within 15 minutes in the 900 block of North Cooper Street without incident.

More: Why this Downtown Peoria building has been listed for sale

PPD began an investigation into the escape and found that Moody had been able to move his cuffed hands from his back to his front, which officers knew about. Because he had been combative and uncooperative, officers decided to keep his hands in front until they arrived at the jail.

Moody was able to use this to his advantage by manipulating the first of two secure doors and defeat the locking mechanism on the door. He then unlocked the exterior door and left the vehicle while it was moving.

PPD said that each police van is supposed to have a mechanism in place to prevent such an incident, but this van did not have that. The department was able to quickly install such a system and examined other vehicles to check for any issues with their locking mechanisms.

Moody is currently being held in the county jail awaiting a first appearance on the aggravated battery charges, as well as the resisting and obstructing police officers and escape charges from the incident Wednesday.

Those with information on the incidents can contact PPD at (309) 673-4521 or anonymously through their Tip411 service. They can also call Crime Stoppers at (309) 673-9000.

More: Could this climate bill raise gas prices in Illinois? That depends on who you ask

This article originally appeared on Journal Star: Man escapes from Peoria-police van following arrest