Escapee Search Takes Cops To Motor Inn

PHILADELPHIA - SWAT teams searching for an accused killer who escaped from police custody zeroed in on a Philadelphia motel Monday morning.

Omar Roane is accused of killing a 17-year-old last summer. He was arrested Friday night but bailed out of a police van Saturday afternoon in the middle of a busy intersection in Mayfair.

The search for Roane led investigators to the Roosevelt Inn in Northeast Philadelphia. Fox 29's Ty Chandler reported there was a heavy police presence at the motor inn, including police, K-9s and members of local SWAT teams.

After 11 a.m., police emerged from the building to say they did not find Roane but they are checking surveillance videotapes to see if he was there earlier.

"We are following all the leads," Philadelphia Police Department Lt. Frank Vanore said earlier. "We're hoping to bring him back in without any further incident."

Roane's escape from police occurred just hours after he was charged in the June 6, 2009 killing of 17-year-old Kyree Young in West Philadelphia.

The 22-year-old was one of three male prisoners who forced open the back door of a police van on Saturday while it was stopped at a traffic light at Frankford and Cottman avenues.

Officers apprehended two prisoners approximately 20 feet away, and they were placed in custody.

Roane, however, remains missing.

"The door was secured, but it did have some sort of bolt that malfunctioned," Vanore said. "And the individuals from the inside, it's believed that they were able to force that in such a way that the door became ajar and they were able to escape. So, right now the commissioner has ordered those particular vans and vans like that van off the street, and they're being evaluated now to make sure that this don't happen again."

Police described Roane as being 5 foot 8 inches tall and about 125 pounds. He has the letters "YHM" on the left side of his neck, two tear drops on his left cheek, and "RIP Rob" on his right hand.

He was last seen wearing a blue-green sweater and tan shorts.

If you know anything about where Roane is, call police at 215-686-3333/34 or call 911.