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.
FILE - The seal of U.S. Department of Homeland Security is seen before a news conference at ICE Headquarters in Washington, May 21, 2025. – 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.
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.
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.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.
“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. The criminal complaint detailing exactly how Petro escaped was filed under seal on March 15.
In late April, KPRC 2 News asked the U.S. Department of Justice why the document remained sealed, and without any reasoning but within an hour, 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.
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. This article will be updated when we learn more. Bryce Newberry joined KPRC 2 in July 2022. He loves the thrill of breaking news and digging deep on a story that gets people talking.
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