NEW ORLEANS (WVUE) - The owner of an electronic monitoring company says a recently escaped murder suspect should have been fitted with an ankle monitor, which would have tracked his every move after he allegedly pepper-sprayed a deputy and stole a marked unit.
The search for Leon Ruffin is underway in Jefferson Parish after Sheriff Joe Lopinto said he interrupted a transport from the Ochsner West Bank campus back to jail on Sunday (Feb. 25). Ultrasound Machine
Ruffin, 51, is awaiting trial for second-degree murder.
“I know this guy. I know Leon Ruffin. I’ve arrested him before,” said Matt Dennis, with ASAP Release Monitoring. “If they had this on him, they would’ve had an extended period of time of getting to him while knowing where he’s at.”
Loyola professor and former police chief Ronal Serpas says transporting inmates is a dangerous game and it’s important to take precautions.
“When someone is wanted for a heinous crime, they are looking for a way to escape or find a way to escape their captors,” said Serpas.
“You have a problem, you find a solution. And this is definitely a problem,” said Dennis’ wife, Jill. “Not only would an ankle monitor allow law enforcement to track the escapee, but they might also be useful as a deterrent which could’ve prevented the escape to begin with.
The Dennises say their ankle monitors can track a suspect to a specific street, house, and even a room inside of a home.
“He’s a dangerous guy. He planned this. He knew what he was doing,” said Dennis. “Had he been wearing this device, the story would be a lot different.”
ASAP Release is in talks with law enforcement to see if there is a better way to protect the public and track inmates during transport.
Legal experts say that jailers have wide latitude when it comes to things like applying ankle monitors, handcuffs, or other methods of detention to inmates.
See a spelling or grammar error in our story? Click Here to report it. Please include the headline.
Subscribe to the Fox 8 YouTube channel.
Ultra Sound Scan Machine Copyright 2024 WVUE. All rights reserved.