Ladislav Petro, a Slovak citizen, escaped from the Houston Contract Detention Facility using a yoga mat.

Ladislav Petro, a 51-year-old Slovak citizen, escaped on March 15 from the Houston Contract Detention Facility, a center managed by CoreCivic for ICE. Investigators determined that Petro used a yoga mat to scale the wall of the recreation area and reach the roof of the building, from where he jumped outside.

His escape was noticed only at 4:22 PM, after a call from the detainees, although he had left the center between 9:20 AM and 2:00 PM. Surveillance footage showed that he was last seen in the recreation yard, and the abandoned mat was later found. After a large search operation, Petro was recaptured just over 24 hours after his escape, having a criminal record and being the subject of a red notice from Interpol. ICE is reviewing the circumstances of the incident but has not provided details about any deficiencies at the detention center, in the context of recent criticisms regarding the operating conditions of these institutions.