Nearly 24 hours after their escape from the Edmonton Institution for Women, two escaped inmates were taken back into custody by police – at an escape room.
Kelsie Laine Mast, 23, and Samantha Faye Toope, 20, jumped the fence at the Edmonton Institution for Women, in the area of 11151 178 Street, Monday at about 8:40 p.m.
Police released their names and pictures to get help from the public tracking them down.
They were finally caught Tuesday night, before 8:30 p.m. – the pair ended up at SideQuests Adventures, a local escape room business in the downtown core.
Co-owners Rebecca and Jonathan Liaw were inside when they met the two fugitives – for Rebecca, there was nothing unusual about the exchange.
“We had two ladies come down the stairs inquiring as to what we did and what an escape room was all about, that’s a pretty typical question, so we talked to them for a couple of minutes explaining escape rooms,” she said.
“When they asked to see one of our rooms, we thought nothing of it. I took them around to see one of the rooms.”
Jonathan said moments after Rebecca walked away with the pair, a police officer walked in.
“[He] asked if two women had come down, I said yes, he asked if they had appointments with us, I said no, then he asked where they were, and I pointed out their location,” Jonathan said.
“He called for backup, he went around the corner, four more police officers came down the stairs.”
Moments later, Rebecca said a number of police officers arrived and quietly arrested Mast and Toope.
“They were arrested and walked straight out very quietly after that. Not exactly what I expected when they wanted to know about escape rooms.”
Police said later the two were in police custody, but would be returned to the custody of the Correctional Service of Canada soon.
