Alexander Ervin, 29, who goes by Lex, is considered to be armed and dangerous, officials said.
A Texas man who, in 2014 was acquitted in the 2013 death of his father on grounds of insanity, has escaped a mental health hospital Sunday, officials said.
Alexander Ervin, 29, who goes by Lex, is considered to be armed and dangerous, officials said.
Surveillance video captured Ervin leaving his dorm around 9 p.m. before climbing a fence and leaving the hospital grounds, cop said.
The next morning, around 7:30 a.m., was the first time hospital workers realized he was missing, NBC News reported
Hospital staff then called police about the missing patient Monday morning, the Austin American Statesman reported.
"Law enforcement departments are continuing an extensive search of the area," Vernon police said Monday afternoon.
As of press time, Ervin is still on the lam and police say he is bald and has a mustache. He weighs about 200 pounds and is between 5 feet 8 inches and 6 feet tall. He was last seen wearing a gray zip-up hoodie, a black shirt, tan pants and black shoes.
If anyone sees him, they should not approach him and call 911 immediately, cops warn.
In 2014, a Travis County jury found Ervin, who is autistic, not guilty of murder by reason of insanity in the death of his father, Ray Scott Ervin.
His brother, Maxwell, testified that Alexander Ervin attacked their father with a pipe wrench and a folding knife, alleging that the family patriarch was an imposter, NBC News reported. Alexander claimed to be a trained member of the CIA on a mission to kill his father, Maxwell testified, according to NBC News reported.
His mother, Leslie Ervin, spoke to KXAN and said she was “terrified” to learn of his escape.
“My first thought was that I was terrified for Lex, then I was terrified for my family. Then I was terrified for the community,” she said. “When Lex is on his medication, he’s a pussycat. He’s a sweetheart. When he’s off his meds, all bets are off. We don’t know what he’s going to do. We don’t know how he’s gonna react. I don’t think he knows what’s going on at that point.”
His mother said that she felt a “great relief” when her son was committed to the hospital following his acquittal.
“When Lex was committed there, I felt great relief, because I felt like Lex would be safe, and everyone else would be safe. This is a maximum security facility. I never, ever imagined that he would ever be able to escape,” she said
