(PEORIA, IL) Wednesday, April 3, 2024, at approximately 8:34 p.m. Peoria Police, were transporting an adult male arrestee, 32-year-old Daniel C. Moody, to the Peoria County Jail for an earlier reported Aggravated Domestic Battery incident. (24-2489).
Moody was being transported in a Peoria Police Department transport van.
As
the transport officer approached the intersection of Main Street and N. Parkside the dashboard alarm sounded indicating the rear door was ajar. The officer discovered Moody had escaped the transport vehicle and immediately notified an emergency communications dispatcher. All available officers then responded to the area to search for Moody. At approximately 8:48 p.m. officers located Moody in the 900 block of Cooper where he was again taken into custody without further incident. Moody was then transported to the Peoria County Jail.
An investigation was then conducted to determine how Moody was able to escape the transport wagon. Moody was initially cuffed behind his back, but during the transport, he was able to move his cuffed hands to the front. This was known to officers, but due to Moody being uncooperative and combative, it was determined to leave Moody cuffed with hands in front until arrival at the jail. Moody was then able to manipulate the first of two secure doors on the transport van. After Moody successfully defeated the locking mechanism on the first door, he was able to unlock the exterior door.
Moody then opened the exterior door and jumped from the transport van while in motion. The transport van is supposed to have a mechanism in place to prevent the exterior doors from being unlocked from inside the vehicle. It was found that this exterior door mechanism had not been installed. This allowed Moody to escape the transport van. This mechanism has now been installed and other PPD transport vans were checked for proper safety and security mechanisms.
If you have any information regarding any violent crimes, please contact the Peoria Police Department at (309) 673-4521, tip411 (anonymously), or Crime Stoppers (anonymously) at (309) 673-9000.
**All suspects and arrestees are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. **