Mental hospital escapee faces prison in CA

PHOENIX - A sex offender who escaped from Arizona's state mental hospital last weekend was facing a 16-year prison term in California, officials said Tuesday.

Jorge Murillo had completed a 10-year sentence in Arizona for sexual assault and was at Arizona State Hospital for evaluation.

He had been at the hospital for six days before he climbed two razor-topped fences and escaped last Saturday.

The California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation said that Murillo was to be transferred to California to begin a sentence for several sex crimes after his evaluation. California joined the search for Murillo.

Arizona officials have pledged a thorough investigation of apparent security flaws that enabled Murillo to escape.

Interim state health director Will Humble said the inestigation will review procedures, staffing, the facility's design.

"He was authorized to be in the area he was in at the time," said Humble.

"There are people there that have been there for years and years and years," Humble added. "This guy got into our facility, and within six days, figured out our weaknesses."

Officials said Murillo escaped prior to civil court procedures on whether he should be detained for treatment.