Assault suspect flees from hospital

Boston Police were searching yesterday for an attempted-rape suspect who escaped from police custody Sunday after a duty supervisor allowed him to go to the hospital without police supervision.

The failures in police oversight prompted a Boston Municipal Court judge to summon police officials to court yesterday to explain what happened. Last night, a police spokeswoman said the department has launched an internal investigation into the escape.

The suspect - Edwardo Aponte, 29, of Dorchester - is considered a danger to the community, police said. He is charged with one count each of assault with intent to rape, indecent assault and battery, and assault and battery.

"Officers are making every attempt right now to locate him," said Boston police spokeswoman Elaine Driscoll.

The department did not notify the public or the media about the Sunday escape until the Globe inquired about Aponte late yesterday afternoon. Driscoll said police officials are unsure when officers realized Aponte was missing and launched a search.

"That's all part of the investigation," Driscoll said.

Police said they were attempting last night to contact Aponte's alleged victim and let her know Aponte had escaped.

On Sept. 5, about 3:30 a.m., the woman reported to police that she had been assaulted in Chinatown, described her attacker and identified him by name. Officers canvassed the area but could not locate Aponte.

On Saturday, the victim called police and reported seeing Aponte in the South End on Berkeley street. Officers apprehended the suspect and took him to the South End district station for booking, police said.

Between 2 and 4 a.m. Sunday, Aponte complained he was feeling ill, and police called an ambulance. He was taken to New England Medical Center.

"We believe at that point, he must have walked out," Driscoll said.

Department rules allow duty supervisors to determine whether a prisoner can go to the hospital unaccompanied, but such allowances normally are not made for prisoners charged with serious and violent crimes.

"In this particular case, for some reason, he went without supervision," Driscoll said. "Internal Affairs is going to obviously need to do an investigation on this."

Police would not release the name of the duty supervisor who decided to let Aponte go to the hospital without police guard. Driscoll said the duty supervisor at District A-1, which covers downtown Boston where the alleged assault occurred, or the one at District D-4, where Aponte was being held, could make such a decision.

When Aponte did not show for his scheduled arraignment in Boston Municipal Court, a judge asked Boston police what happened. Yesterday, District A-1 Captain Bernard O'Rourke appeared before Judge Michael Coyne.

Driscoll said the judge asked O'Rourke to come back when he had more details. "He still has to go back to the judge," she said.

Donovan Slack can be reached at dslack@globe.com.