Geraldo Rojas, the fugitive inmate sought by the Yonkers Police Department since yesterday morning, has been apprehended.
Detectives from the Yonkers Police Department’s Major Case Squad and Field Intelligence Division, as well as FBI Westchester Safe Streets Task Force Agents and Task Force Officers, tracked down the 34-year-old inmate who had escaped from Saint Joseph’s Hospital, after a search that lasted roughly twenty-nine hours. Rojas was tracked down in the Bronx, New York, and arrested during the operation. The quick reaction of law enforcement personnel stopped the fugitive’s escape.
On July 21st, 2023, officers from the Yonkers Police Department located and detained Rojas for his involvement in many robberies that day. On July 22nd, 2023, Rojas had a medical emergency and had to be taken to Saint Joseph’s Hospital by Yonkers Police Officers before he could appear in court. On July 22, 2023, Rojas was remanded to the County Jail after being arraigned by a Judge in the hospital’s early afternoon. However, the Westchester County Department of Correction now has custody of Rojas because he was not released from the hospital for medical reasons. On the evening of July 22nd, 2023, at around 6:00 p.m., correction officers were dispatched to Saint Joseph’s Hospital to take over Rojas’ prisoner watch. On July 23, 2023, at around 4:30 a.m., ROJAS evaded capture by Westchester County Department of Correction Officers. From the get-go, Major Case Detectives and Officers stationed in the Yonkers Police AWARE Room combed over hours of surveillance footage from across the city, following ROJAS’ escape route to guide the investigation.
“The arrest of this criminal is a testament to the hard work of the Yonkers Police Detective Division and their partnership with the FBI. This dangerous person has been taken off the streets and into custody in just 29 hours, making our community safer,” Mayor Mike Spano of Yonkers offered his congratulations on a job well done.
Since Rojas’s case involved an escape from custody, which is a felony in New York, the Yonkers Police Department took the lead in investigating the incident. The Saint Joseph’s Hospital internal inquiry into Rojas’ escape is being led by the Westchester County Department of Correction.
“We are relieved that Geraldo Rojas is back in custody,” stated Yonkers Police Commissioner Christopher Sapienza. “Our dedicated Detectives and Task Force Officers worked tirelessly to locate and apprehend Rojas to ensure the safety of our citizens. Their unwavering commitment to upholding the law serves as a powerful reminder that fugitives will not evade justice in Yonkers and that public safety remains a top priority for our city. The skill and dedication of our local law enforcement officers, working in tandem with our premier investigative partners at the FBI, led to this successful apprehension.”
The Westchester County Department of Corrections has been notified that ROJAS has been detained at the City of Yonkers Jail.
