An inmate at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility died last night after a stabbing incident inside the Holmesburg prison.

A 42-year-old was pronounced dead at Aria Health-Torresdale around 10:30 p.m. from multiple wounds. continue reading »

Here’s a summary of the week’s Northeast news we didn’t cover. See others here.

Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility tested its siren yesterday. The three-second test was done for a maintenance crew to determine if work needs to be done. The siren will be used in the future to alert neighbors of emergencies. continue reading »

A prisoner has gone missing from Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility in Holmesburg.

Kevin Turner [photo], 22, was admitted in March for firearms and burglary charges. Turner, who’d been working a 1 p.m. to 9 p.m. shift in the kitchen last night, was discovered missing at 8 this morning, and has not yet been found. continue reading »

Saturday – The FBI is searching for Omar Roane, a prisoner who broke free Friday afternoon in Mayfair. Roane and two other prisoners in a police van broke out the back door around 2:30 p.m. Friday when the vehicle was stopped at Cottman and Frankford avenues.

Police apprehended the two other suspects, but Roane, 22, is still on the loose. His rap sheet includes the 2009 murder of a 17-year-old, for which Roane has a Sept. 1 court date. The van was on its way to Holmesburg’s Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility when Roane and the others escaped. continue reading »

Prisons Commissioner Louis Giorla updated Upper Holmesburg residents on rennovation plans for the area at last night's civic association meeting.

The prison system shouldn’t be the third-largest department in a city as sophisticated as Philadelphia, Prisons Commissioner Louis Giorla told the Upper Holmesburg Civic Association last night.

And that’s one of the reasons why Giorla attended the group’s January meeting — to update residents on what’s happening at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility and Holmesburg Prison. continue reading »

Oscar Alvarado, courtesy of Action News.

UPDATE (Dec. 16) — Oscar Alvarado was captured Monday afternoon at the Neshaminy Inn at Old Lincoln Highway and Route 1.

UPDATE (Dec. 3) — Prison officials are still investigating Alvarado’s escape, and are no closer to finding him. Prison Commissioner Louis Giorla said it’s likely Alvarado had help on the inside.

UPDATE –  Alvarado escaped by using an unauthorized visitor’s pass. He was able to get past two security check points and 12 officers before making his way into the visitors room where he put on civilian clothes. Authorities believe Alvarado is now clean shaven.

Police are looking for a murder suspect who broke free from prison last night.

Oscar Alvarado, 27, escaped from Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on State Road around 6 p.m. on Thanksgiving. Alvarado is 5’7″, 160 pounds and has multiple tattoos on his left arm, in addition to a tattoo of a woman on his back. He could be wearing jeans and a white T-shirt. continue reading »

Tiffany Davis, director of civic engagement for Young Heroes, explains how the organization serves Holmesburg.

The Holmesburg Civic Association welcomed many guests at last night’s meeting – the most uncommon of which were representatives from Young Heroes, a division of Philadelphia’s City  Year.

Typical civic association guests includes politicians and other community leaders, but Holmesburg residents also had the chance to hear about how the City  Year term serves their neighborhood and the rest of the Northeast. continue reading »