Escaped felon triggers manhunt in northern Netherlands

The police launched a manhunt on Tuesday morning for a 31-year-old man who escaped from the Zuyder Bos prison in Heerhugowaard. The prisoner's absence was noticed around 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday, a spokesperson for the Correctional Service Intelligence said to NU. The man's description was circulated through Burgernet. He has tanned skin, is shaved and was dressed all in black with paint stains on his clothing. Citizens are instructed not to approach the man, but to call the police if they see him. How and when exactly the prisoner escaped is still under investigation. It is also unclear why he was in custody. "He turned himself in at the police for his prison sentence and was in custody since August", the spokesperson said to NU. Before his escape, the man would have been released in March next year.