A 30-year-old Chinese woman, Xiaoqin Yan, who was serving a sentence for illegal gun possession and arson in a prison in Connecticut, United States, managed to escape but was apprehended after being on the run for only 45 minutes.
The Federal Bureau of Prisons stated on Wednesday, December 11th, that Xiaoqin Yan triggered a security alarm and escaped from the prison around 7 p.m. on Tuesday night. The staff at Danbury Federal Prison immediately notified the local authorities, and she was found and brought back to the prison around 7:45 p.m. the same evening.
Xiaoqin Yan, a Chinese citizen, had been sentenced to 8 and a half years for illegal gun possession and arson. In 2021, she set fire to the historic First Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, causing significant damage to the 192-year-old church. In 2022, she was transferred to Danbury Prison to serve her sentence.
According to court documents, Xiaoqin Yan was convicted of illegally possessing a firearm after her non-immigrant visa expired. Surveillance footage also showed her carrying two large duffel bags in September 2021, wearing a mask as she entered the church and ignited multiple gasoline containers, leading to the fire. Prosecutors mentioned that Yan had multiple unusual interactions with church staff and displayed abnormal behavior.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an investigation into the escape. The prison authorities have refused to comment on specific details of the escape, citing a statement from the Federal Bureau of Prisons in response. Additionally, Xiaoqin Yan’s defense attorney from the Alabama case has yet to respond to the incident.