Hospital Security Cameras Help in Apprehension of Amber Alert Subjects

Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital security officer recognized the subjects and then alerted local police.

Video surveillance footage from security cameras installed at Commonwealth Health Wilkes-Barre General Hospital was used to identify subjects of an Amber Alert on Tuesday.

Alleged kidnapper, Walter Lewis, 21, and his victim, Jenea Patterson, 16, were inside the facility for about 45 minutes on July 31. A hospital official says the two entered the hospital around 9:30 p.m. and were escorted out of the building 45 minutes later.

The security officer who escorted them noticed that they fit the description provided by an Amber Alert, reports the Times Leader. He then called the police.

A short while later, local law enforcement officers were able to locate the Lewis and Patterson in an adjacent parking garage. Police say Lewis fled on foot and was nearly struck by a vehicle. He was then stunned with a Taser by one of the responding officers.

Administrators and security management at Wilkes-Barre praised their security officers for how they worked with law enforcement in the apprehension of Lewis.

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