Cops: Arrest near in prison escape that led to jeweler's death

The investigation surrounding Kevin Turner's escape from prison will result in an arrest by the end of this week, police said yesterday.

They are piecing together evidence regarding Turner's Oct. 12 escape from Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, which allowed him to kill jeweler William Glatz during a failed robbery of his Northeast Philadelphia store Thursday.

Turner was also killed during the shootout, but police are looking for an accomplice.

A law-enforcement source said that police are closing in on those who may have helped Turner escape. Charges would involve the escape and the murder, the source said.

Turner, who was 6 feet tall and 280 pounds and was being held on firearms and burglary charges, escaped through the loading dock in a vehicle on prison grounds.

Traffic at the prison can range from 12 to 36 delivery vehicles a day, said prison spokesman Robert Eskind, adding that all the vehicles were checked the day of Turner's escape.

Meanwhile at CFCF, several staff members have been reassigned pending an investigation, Eskind said.

Prison officials have instituted some changes since Turner's escape in an effort to prevent further getaways, but details on those changes weren't provided.

"Over the years the system has disciplined and sometimes dismissed staff because of an escape, made infrastructure and communications improvements, and changed procedures to provide additional protections," Eskind said. Turner was the second inmate to escape from CFCF in the past year.

Murder suspect Oscar Alvarado escaped last Thanksgiving when he accessed an unauthorized pass to get into the visiting area. He changed into civilian clothes before walking out of the prison. Eight correctional officers were reassigned after that incident. Alvarado was apprehended by authorities nearly two weeks later.

Homicide detectives are searching for the second gunman who accompanied Turner in the deadly robbery of William Glatz Jewelers on Rising Sun Avenue and Passmore Street. The person of interest is described as a black man, about 5 feet 8 and between the ages of 18 and 22. He was wearing dark clothing and had a black backpack and a revolver during the robbery. Tipsters can call homicide detectives at 215-686-3334 or -3335.