Police looking for jail inmate

A Curry County jail inmate is on the loose after a mental health facility in Roswell released him, according to a press release received by fax Thursday from County Manager Lance Pyle.

Quran Wiggins was taken Oct. 7 from the jail to Sunrise Mental Health Center for treatment, the release said. He was jailed Sept. 27 on a trespassing charge, according to a jail spokesperson.

“Without notifying Curry County, Sunrise Mental Health Center ... released Quran Wiggins,” the release said. “Mr. Wiggins’ release was not the result of any action or conduct by Curry County or any of its employees.”

Undersheriff Wesley Waller said the sheriff’s department transported Wiggins to Roswell along with a court order that Wiggins would be returned to the jail at the conclusion of his treatment.

Waller said during the week of Oct. 31, a sheriff’s office transport officer spotted Wiggins in Clovis, prompting the sheriff to contact Sunrise. Waller said it was then learned that Sunrise had released Wiggins contrary to the court order.

Wiggins whereabouts are not known, Waller said.

The county’s Interim Administrator Tori Sandoval didn’t return repeated telephone calls asking for comment Thursday.

Sunrise’s director Richard Greer, contacted by cell phone, said he had no knowledge of the Wiggins release and referred calls to the center’s risk management director, Jan Weaver.

Weaver’s office voice mail said she was out of town until Monday.