Oklahoma County Jail Inmate Mistakenly Released After Impersonating Another Inmate

Police are still looking for an Oklahoma County jail inmate that was mistakenly released this week. According to the Oklahoma County Detention Center, the inmate impersonated the real man who was scheduled to get out and staff didn’t catch it.

Kittakone Sirisombath says he expected to walk away from jail on Monday, and he did, eventually, but it would take hours before he said the jail realized they let the wrong man out.

Being locked up is not where most people want to be, for Sirisombath, two and a half days was two and a half days too long. “It does suck,” he said. “That's not a place humans should be living in.”

The 23-year-old was arrested on traffic tickets he says he forgot to pay. So, he paid for them and was set to be released on Monday. “They were supposed to take my hold off and release me and I guess they did, but they didn't release me,” Sirisombath said.

Instead, the jail released inmate Devonne Tyrae Sias.

According to Mark Opgrande with the OCDC, Sias impersonated Sirisombath and got away with it. “The checks from the top all the way to the bottom would have prevented this,” Opgrande said. “It was probably the right timing, and he took advantage of that opportunity.”

 Sias was processed and walked right out the door, with Sirisombath’s personal belongings, shoes, jeans, and a hoodie. “As soon as his mug shot came up, I could see where they would get it confused but at the same time, I just really don't understand it,” said Sirisombath.

Opgrande says while the two may have been mistaken by looks, policies weren’t followed by staff. “There are certain checks that you have to make in order to release someone. certain paperwork you have to look up, asking certain questions of the individual,” Opgrande said. “I think there's a fingerprint as well, you do a fingerprint test to make sure it's the same person.”

While Sias should have been in jail on larceny, drug, and weapons charges, it was Sirisombath stuck in his cell. “It was another nine hours, nine and a half hours,” he said. “I sat there for hours trying to get somebody's attention.”

He eventually got out. “I guess it feels great,” he said. According to the OCDC, the person responsible for the release was terminated. However, the investigation into the mix-up continues. As for Sias, he’s still on the run and could face additional charges.