Eighth inmate in jailbreak recaptured

YAKIMA – Another of the nine inmates who escaped from the Yakima County Jail last month has been caught, leaving just one man still at large.

Gianni Alaimo, 26, of Yakima, surrendered without incident Wednesday when officers surrounded a residence where he had recently arrived, the police department said.

Police were acting on a tip motivated by a $3,000 reward offered by various community groups.

Alaimo, who was being held on assault charges at the time of the escape, took his shirt off before leaving the house, Chief Sam Granato said at a news conference.

“He wanted to make sure we knew he wasn’t armed, which was very smart on his part,” Granato said.

Still at large was Luis Soto, also facing assault charges when he escaped.

In a message to Soto, jail director Steve Robertson said, “It would be a good idea to turn yourself in now.”

The inmates escaped Nov. 25, breaking through a ceiling on the four-story main jail’s top floor, then reaching the ground using a rope made of bedsheets. Five were captured immediately and two were caught the next day.

It was the largest escape in the history of the downtown jail, which houses 800 inmates, including scores being held under contract with other jurisdictions.