His criminal career started early, went steeply and found its cruel climax in April 2011 with the robbery and murder of a 76-year-old kiosk operator in Nuremberg. In 2013, a jury sentenced him to life imprisonment. Now Rachid Chouakri has managed to escape. The 40-year-old jumped out of a window in the Regensburg district court on Thursday afternoon (the star reported). Since then, the police have been on constant duty and warn the population: "The man could react violently."
Chouakri is said to have resisted officials during his detention in the Straubing correctional facility (JVA), so he should now be tried at the Regensburg district court. Most recently he was in another JVA. In which, the police will not reveal.
There is a so-called lawyer's room in the district court for confidential discussions with defense lawyers. Officials are not allowed to be in the room during these consultations – because of the attorney-client privilege. In German district courts, minor offenses are usually tried, such as theft or drunk driving. The security precautions are therefore often significantly less than in regional courts, where lower murders are charged. However: the local and regional courts are located in the same building complex in Regensburg.
Apparently, Chouakri took advantage of the lack of security in the area of the district court. "He escaped through a ground floor window," police said. Now it came out: The window of the room was not particularly secured, according to the current state of knowledge not even locked. A spokesman for the Oberpfalz police headquarters confirmed this to the star on Friday afternoon on request. To be on the safe side, police officers were posted under the window, saying they were "not familiar with the area". Chouakri waited for an opportune moment and then charged. How can that be? "The exact circumstances are still being examined," the police said. The defender of the convicted murderer did not want to comment on his client's escape when asked by the "Bild" newspaper.
According to the police, an officer immediately rushed after the fugitive, but after about 300 meters the lead was too big. The escape of the Algerian triggered a large-scale police operation on Thursday afternoon. All available forces searched for the criminal, sniffer dogs were to track them down, and a police helicopter rose above the city of 150,000. News of the killer's escape spread quickly, and shortly thereafter the police published a wanted poster with photos of Chouakri and asked the public for help in locating him.
Name: Rachid Chouakri; DOB: February 17, 1982; Age: 40 years; Nationality: Algerian; Height: 1.76 meters; figure: slim; Weight: about 63 kilograms; Hair: shoulder to elbow length, frizzy, wavy, dark; special features: high forehead, full beard, burn scar on the left elbow and upper arm; Languages: German with an accent, French, English, Arabic, Italian; Clothing: checked shirt, dark trousers, dark sneakers with white soles; Shoe size: 42.
Another photo of what you are looking for is here.
The police receive information on the whereabouts nationwide via the emergency call 110. The police warns: "Do not speak to the fugitive, but call the police. The man could react violently."
The police are still searching the day after the successful escape. The forces have been noticeably strengthened again, the officials say - also to counteract the unrest in Regensburg. Dogs and helicopters are in action again, and the Bavarian riot police have dispatched units. In the background, investigators are trying to determine where Chouakri could be. Police authorities abroad were also informed.
By midday, 25 tips had been received from the population - not all of them could be processed, but: "There is still no concrete information on the current whereabouts of the fugitive." According to the police, the search pressure should be maintained unchanged at the weekend.
Sources: Police Headquarters Oberpfalz (1), Police Headquarters Oberpfalz (2), "Bild" newspaper, DPA news agency
