HOUSTON – Newly unsealed federal court documents are giving the clearest answers yet as to how a Slovak man in immigration custody escaped a Houston contract detention facility in March.
Ladislav Petro, 51, escaped from the Houston Contract Detention Facility on March 15, prompting about a 24-hour manhunt.
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After his escape, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement spokesperson would not provide specifics on how Petro got out of the facility.
In April, a federal grand jury indicted Petro on charges including willfully preventing or hampering departure after a final order of removal and escape, records show.
Petro had multiple criminal arrests and an Interpol Red Notice for production and distribution of child pornography, according to an ICE spokesperson.
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How the escape happened
According to the newly unsealed federal criminal complaint, ICE learned about the escape from the facility on Export Plaza Drive on Sunday, March 15, around 4:22 p.m.
Detention officers from Core Civic, the contractor responsible for the detention of ICE detainees, allegedly told ICE staff the escape happened sometime between 9:20 a.m. and 2 p.m.
It was not discovered until around 4 p.m. during a facility headcount, according to records.
Surveillance video showed Petro on the recreation yard, and when investigators searched the yard, they found a yoga mat, according to records.
“Further investigation revealed the defendant used that yoga mat to scale the recreation yard wall to the roof of the building and then subsequently jumped from the roof to an area outside of the facility,” and ICE officer wrote in the complaint.
Petro had been ordered removed from the U.S. in May of 2024, according to records, and his case was pending with the Board of Immigration Appeals.
The escape prompted a multi-agency manhunt.
“Following the escape, detention staff immediately notified local, state, and federal authorities, and a coordinated, multi-agency search was immediately launched to quickly locate Petro. Thanks to the efforts of all agencies involved, Petro was safely apprehended in just over 24 hours not far from the Houston Contract Detention Facility,” an ICE spokesperson told KPRC 2 News three days after the escape.
Obtaining the documents
The criminal complaint detailing exactly how Petro escaped was filed under seal on March 15.
Even though Petro was arrested and in custody, the document remained sealed.
In late April, KPRC 2 News asked the U.S. Department of Justice why the document remained sealed, and without any reasoning but within hours, federal prosecutors filed a motion to unseal the criminal complaint.
Records show U.S. Magistrate Judge Dena Palermo signed an order to finally unseal the records last week.
Petro remains in federal custody with a trial date scheduled in June.
KPRC 2 News has reached out to ICE to find out if any procedures have changed, and if any tools like yoga mats have been removed or restricted for use or access by detainees.
An ICE spokesperson provided KPRC 2 with the following statement:
Immediately following an escape at an ICE detention facility, a Corrective Action Team is deployed to conduct an exhaustive review of the circumstances that led to the escape to identify any deficiencies or vulnerabilities and to make recommendations regarding potential enhancements to current policies, procedures, and training to prevent future escapes. In the event human error is discovered to have contributed to the escape, ICE leadership counsels the individual(s) at fault and takes further corrective or disciplinary action, if warranted.
For operational security reasons, ICE is unable to comment on any potential deficiencies or vulnerabilities that were identified, or any remedial actions that were implemented, following the escape at the Houston Contract Detention Facility.