Matthew J. Ornellas Jr.
Matthew J. Ornellas Jr., 33, was held at the Kauai Community Correctional Center in Hawaii, in the custody of the Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation. He escaped over the perimeter fence shortly after 1 a.m. in March 2024, and officers lost sight of him in brush. Soon after, he was struck by a vehicle on Kuhio Highway, and the driver left the scene, which police are still investigating. He was taken to Wilcox Medical Center in Lihue, where he died on March 28, 2024, after his condition worsened; the department said his injuries came from an apparent hit-and-run and is still investigating the escape.
Cause of death, as reported: Cause not yet determined. The Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation says Ornellas died of injuries from an apparent hit-and-run after escaping Kauai Community Correctional Center, and the department's investigation of the escape is ongoing.
Reported by: Hawaii Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (the agency that held him). The only account of how this person died comes from the agency that held him.