A 25-year-old registered sex offender in New Jersey who escaped from a transport van is back in law enforcement custody after days on the run, law enforcement sources said Monday.
Nicholas Voutsas was apprehended in Brooklyn. Multiple law enforcement sources with direct knowledge said officers approached Voutsas at a homeless shelter for men, when he immediately took off and attempted to run away.
After a scuffle, Voutsas was eventually subdued and put into handcuffs. Four officers were hurt while bringing him into custody, but all four are expected to recover.
Voutsas hadn't been seen since he fled a New Jersey Department of Health van around 9 a.m. Thursday near University Hospital in Newark. He wasn't in handcuffs while in state custody, with the van taking him for a routine medical appointment.
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After jumping out of the transport at a red light, he was later seen on surveillance video walking down a street in Newark. It was not immediately clear if he was handcuffed while in the van, or if there was a law enforcement officer inside. It also was not known why it took two days to alert the public of the sex offender's escape.
Voutsas has now been charged with escape. He was taken to Woodhull Hospital while in police custody.
He's a Level 2 registered sex offender, meaning there's a moderate risk of recommitting the offense, and law enforcement wanted him back in custody as soon as possible. The designation also means schools and daycares in the area where he lives are notified about his residence.
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Voutsas was recently convicted in England for grooming a girl under 16 years old before getting extradited back to New Jersey to face additional charges, including assaulting officers.