PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Three people accused of aiding an escape from the Philadelphia Industrial Correctional Center last May have been held for trial. But during their preliminary hearing, video evidence also demonstrated just how easy it was for the inmates to simply walk out of the prison.
Assistant District Attorney Brett Zakeosian played the judge a video taken on the day of the May 7, 2023 escape, showing escapees Ameen Hurst and Nasir Grant stuffing something into their door locks to disable them. A red light on the door showed they were disabled, but a guard walked by the doors without doing anything to secure them.
Later, they simply strolled out of their cells and army crawled across an unguarded day room into the night. Grant was on the lam for five days; Hurst for 10.
Jose Flores-Huerta, another inmate shown on video, was also held for trial for allegedly playing lookout for Hurst and Grant. Two others, Amir Woods and Michael Abrams, will face trial for helping them get away afterward. The prosecutor introduced video, phone recordings, cell phone records and toll receipts to establish the case against the three accomplices.
Abrams’ lawyer Laurence Narcisi says he wasn’t surprised with the outcome.
“Video evidence is video evidence, cell phone records are cell phone records,” Abrams said. “The only thing they didn’t have was DNA.”
Hurst’s preliminary hearing was postponed because his lawyer had to leave. Grant had already waived his prelim, as did another alleged accomplice, Xianni Stalling.
Some of the weaknesses in prison security came out during a city council hearing, last fall, on the escape. Council members called for change at the prisons but, four weeks into Mayor Cherelle Parker’s term, she still has not named a prisons commissioner. Blanche Carney, appointed by Jim Kenney in 2016, remains commissioner.
Editor's update on April 15, 2025:
Nasir Grant pleaded guilty to escape, conspiracy, criminal use of a facility, and flight to avoid apprehension. In March 2025, he was sentenced to six to 12 months behind bars, plus three years probation for three of the charges. For the criminal use of a facility charge, he was sentenced to seven years of reporting probation.