Man finds wet hospital gown in Richmond home during statewide manhunt for escaped inmate

by: Sierra Krug

Posted: Aug 18, 2023 / 06:11 PM EDT

Updated: Aug 18, 2023 / 08:18 PM EDT

RICHMOND, Va. (WRIC) — Nearly a week after escaping from Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Henrico, a Greensville Corrections Center inmate is still on the run — and we now have reason to believe he targeted residents in the area immediately after escaping.

Police are actively searching for 21-year-old Naseem Roulack, who managed to escape from the supervision of two Virginia Department of Corrections (VADOC) security officers on Saturday, Aug. 12. A week later, a Richmond resident who lives less than a mile from the hospital spoke with 8News after his home was broken into.

On Saturday morning, the resident — who will remain anonymous for safety purposes — noticed something unusual on his living room floor.

“I walked over to there and looked down and there I saw the gown,” he said.

A hospital gown rested on the home’s floor just hours after Roulack escaped while receiving medical treatment at St. Mary’s Hospital.

The gown wasn’t the first red flag. The resident told 8News he woke up to make breakfast as normal, but the state of his home was anything but normal. The first thing he noticed was a table that had been left bare.

“I’m very confused at that point because I know I had a hat and keys [on it],” he said.

The resident said he investigated further and found broken glass and a basement door left ajar. However, one of the most odd things he found was the hospital gown on his living room floor.

“I touched it. It was sopping wet, but I picked it up and dropped it,” he said.

After calling the police’s non-emergency line, the man said officers showed up in full force — about 15 or 16 officers on-scene with dogs and automatic weapons. It was then that he learned this likely wasn’t a standard break-in. He and the officers pieced together Roulack’s getaway.

Police would not confirm to 8News whether Roulack is a suspect in this case, but the victim said officers on the scene told him it was his gown.

The thief stole the resident’s vintage baseball cap, cash, keys and a sense of security.

“He’s out there somewhere and he has the keys to the house. He well, he did have the keys. I’ve changed all the locks,” the resident said.

However, he added that things could have been significantly worse.

“I’m very lucky,” the resident reflected. “I should have bought a lottery ticket.”

The resident has new locks and stronger security. He is just hoping to build back. Officials are offering a cash reward for anyone with information that could be helpful in the search for Roulack. Anyone with information is asked to call VADOC’s fugitive line at 1-877-896-5764.