A Las Vegas criminal defendant made a break for freedom after being sentenced to prison Monday, according to a prosecutor who was in the courtroom.
District Judge Tina Talim had just sentenced 37-year-old Leonardo Delis to 19 to 60 months in prison after he pleaded guilty in March to a count of possession of a stolen vehicle.
Deputy District Attorney Bianca Pucci said Delis was handcuffed and taken into a back holding area for processing after being remanded into custody.
Then, as other inmates were led into the back room, “He somehow ran out before that door shut and he just ran straight out to the hallway,” she said.
Marshals returned the defendant to custody quickly, according to Pucci.
“I don’t think he got too far,” she said.
Delis had previously been out of custody on electronic monitoring.
An attorney for Delis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
As of Monday afternoon, Delis faced a count of possession of a controlled substance and a count of escape by a felony prisoner. He is due back in court Tuesday.
Contact Noble Brigham at nbrigham@reviewjournal.com.
