Police are searching for an inmate who they say escaped a New Hampshire hospital Wednesday morning, according to the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities said John Pownall, 57, fled Exeter Hospital, where he was under a court order to stay until he was medically cleared to return to the Rockingham County Jail. Police said Pownall escaped with 36-year-old Ashley Gustafson, who helped him leave.
Pownall and Gustafson were seen leaving in a white Kia sedan with a New Hampshire license plate, police said. Authorities said Gustafson then helped Pownall remove his ankle monitoring device in a CVS parking lot in Stratham, N.H.
Police said the two then fled in an unknown direction.
Pownall and Gustafson both have active arrest warrants, according to police.
“This person does have a lengthy criminal history. A lot of it is geared towards substance abuse, as well as driving infractions,” said Major Christopher Bashaw, of the Rockingham County Sherriff’s Office.
Pownall was arrested Friday for driving with a suspended license and was sent to Exeter Hospital for medical attention.
“Depending on what medical condition folks are dealing with, to be under constant armed guard and handcuffed or shackled or restrained to a bed is problematic when giving them the proper care, so at times, the courts do authorize them to be on electronic monitoring,” Bashaw said.
A man who works in Stratham said he saw a large police response in the area.
“They asked us if we’d seen a gentleman who was bald and had a mustache. He escaped from the Exeter Hospital and I guess he cut his ankle bracelet over near the surgical center, and then disappeared — went somewhere,” said Jordan Jeffers.
Anyone with information regarding the whereabouts of Pownall or Gustafson is asked to contact the Rockingham County Sheriff’s Office at 603-679-2225, and to not approach them.
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