Steven Manzo, a 24-year-old suspected of committing a murder in 2018, was accidentally let out of jail on Tuesday due to what appears to be a clerical error, CBS News reports.
Manzo reportedly ran across the 101 Freeway in downtown Los Angeles while wearing jail clothing. As a result, that roadway was temporarily shutdown in both directions while they searched for him.
Officials learned that a mistaken computer system entry led to him getting out. It’s not clear who was responsible for that entry, though it was reported that there was a court hearing on Tuesday morning that led to charges being dismissed against him before they were immediately refiled.
“Earlier today, we were notified by the Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office that suspect Steven Manzo was released from custody after our Department had already filed criminal charges,” said Long Beach police public information officer Allison Gallagher. “Upon further review, it was determined he should not have been released.”
Jail records for Los Angeles County show that Manzo had a dismissed murder case and that he was let out of the Century Regional Detention Center in Lynwood at 2:12 p.m.
Prior to his accidental release, Manzo was being held on $2 million bail.
He was charged in the fatal shooting of 24-year-old Salvador Corrales back in late July 2018, though he wasn’t arrested until March 2020. It’s believed that the incident occurred following a dispute in a parking lot in Long Beach. At the time there was no victim found, though there was evidence of a shooting. Corrales was later located in a vehicle with gunshot wounds.
