Japan Jailbreak Sparks Manhunt, Has City On Edge

Published January 12, 2012 5:54AM (EST)

TOKYO (AP) — The daring jailbreak of a dangerous criminal has sparked an intense manhunt in a southern Japanese city and prompted schools to advise children to travel in supervised groups until he is caught.

Hiroshima Prefectural Police say they are scouring the city for the convict, who shot at an officer and stole a squad car in 2005.

Nearly 800 police were assigned Thursday to the manhunt, guarding train stations and searching parks with dogs. The board of education warned students to travel in groups to and from schools for safety.

Li Guolin, a Chinese national, escaped from a Hiroshima prison Wednesday by reportedly ducking out of an outdoor exercise session and scaling two walls. He was serving a 23-year sentence.

He escaped in his white, prison-issued winter underwear.


By Salon Staff

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