Two inmates on the run after escaping from River City Correctional Center

CINCINNATI (WKRC) - Hamilton County deputies are searching for two inmates who escaped from the River City Correctional Center over the weekend.

Investigators say Thomas Cromwell, 27, and Shawn Black, 29, escaped the Colerain Avenue facility sometime between midnight and 1 a.m. on July 9.

Cromwell and Black escaped through a window that had been broken on July 6 and fixed temporarily with plywood. The sheriff's office said it's not known who originally broke the window.

River City staff didn't know the two were missing until 10:30 a.m., more than 12 hours later, when staff did rounds and found Cromwell's bed was made up to look like he was still in it. He had apparently piled bedding and clothing in the shape of a person.

Staff did an emergency count and found both Cromwell and Black missing.

While the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office is helping with the search, it does not oversee River City. It is governed by a corrections board and supervised by the court, according to the sheriff's office.

Black is the man who led police on a high-speed chase in BlueAsh earlier this year. He was sentenced last month to six months at River City and complete treatment or counseling programs. Violating the terms of his sentence could mean up to three years in prison.

Cromwell was at River City for violating parole after his conviction in a 2015 shooting.

Scott McVey took over as executive director for the 220-bed River City Center seven months ago.

The center is funded by the state, but run under a separate board made up of area judges and commissioners.

It is one of 18 community-based corrections facilities in the state of Ohio, and it has a budget of about $6 million annually.

Inmates are there for a maximum of six months to get drug treatment as an alternative to prison.

Local 12 asked McVey why it took so long to sound the alarm and begin the search.

"From my understanding, they appeared to get out of the building at 12:30 at night and the following morning they were noticed missing at the morning head count,” McVey said. “On the weekends here, there is no specific wake-up time."

McVey says the center will update security procedures following the escape.

"We're going to do some building improvements, but we’re also doing more training with our staff, doing more headcounts," he said.

The Hamilton County Sheriff's Office has jurisdiction over escapees from the facility, but it wasn't called in until 4 p.m. Saturday.

Officials there said they wanted to make sure they had all the correct information about the escape before going to the public Monday.

Cromwell's mother, Theresa Gaines, pleaded for her son to turn himself in.

"I'm worried about him because of his drug history and his past history of bad decisions, and I just want him to turn himself in and don't give the police any issues if and when they find him,” she said.

Cromwell and Black face additional charges and up to several years in prison for their escape.

McVey said the center has filed official escape charges with the courts.

Anyone who can help track down Cromwell and Black is asked to call CrimeStoppers at (513) 352-3040.