Community ‘thrilled’ escaped inmate is back behind bars

RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) - All through the Willow Lawn area on Wednesday, neighbors shrieked with joy as they learned Naseem Roulack, the inmate who escaped from St. Mary’s Hospital, in August is back behind bars.

“Thrilled to hear that he’s finally captured. This has been going on for a while, so this is great news to hear,” said Amy Kerns.

Residents reflected on the chilling moments that helicopters swarmed through the Willow Lawn neighborhood back in August looking for Roulack.

Multiple law enforcement agencies were on high alert as they canvased in search of the escaped convict, leaving residents to do only one thing.

“I locked my doors and closed all the shades and kind of just hid because I didn’t know what was happening,” said Peyton Scott.

During that early search, police came up empty handed, which left some neighbors on edge for more than just days.

“It was very uneasy those first few weeks. We were constantly making sure everything was locked looking out our back door. I felt like I was always staring at our backyard, like is he hiding in our shed? Where is he?” Kerns said.

Not only were neighbors uneasy, but some were a little frustrated wishing that things had been done differently at the beginning of this investigation.

“Let me say, I do support the Richmond city police officers. I think they do a fantastic job with what they have been given, however I was very upset that he was a block away and we weren’t notified by anybody. Not by an alert, by police, by anybody at all. And when you think back on that, that’s a little scary,” said Deborah Trunick.

Naseem was captured around 9 a.m. on Oct. 25 in Fairfax County.

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