He claimed chest pain, then escaped police custody at the hospital

A man who escaped Wichita police custody while at a hospital had complained of chest pain following his arrest on Tuesday.

Sgt. Nikki Woodrow said that Jose L. Cruz, 35, remained at large as of early Wednesday afternoon after sneaking away from police Tuesday evening while being examined at Via Christi Hospital St. Francis.

Cruz is wanted on three Wichita bench warrants, including one related to a domestic sexual assault, Woodrow said. Cruz escaped from the hospital just before 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

“There were officers with (Cruz) at the hospital,” Woodrow said. “At some point during his treatment, he was able to escape.”

Woodrow said that the 6-foot-3 Cruz – who was witnessed on security footage walking out of the hospital – was last seen wearing a red shirt, black pants and black shoes.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Cruz is asked to contact the Wichita Police Department or Crime Stoppers at 316-267-2111.

This story was originally published April 26, 2017 at 1:42 PM with the headline "He claimed chest pain, then escaped police custody at the hospital."