Convicted Murderer Held Nurse, Officer Hostage At Joliet Hospital
CHICAGO (CBS) -- A 32-year-old state prison inmate, who was convicted of murdering his ex-girlfriend, is now accused of taking two people hostage for less than an hour Wednesday morning at a Joliet hospital where he had been taken Tuesday.
The inmate who's at the center of all this: Joshua Matthews, serving a 100-year sentence for a 2004 murder in Warrenville.
Matthews was taken by ambulance from Stateville Correctional Center to Saint Joseph Medical Center in Joliet on Tuesday, according to a statement from the Illinois Department of Corrections.
This incident happened just after 3:30 in the morning, said Nicole Wilson, spokeswoman for the Illinois Department of Corrections.
"We had an offender at Presence St. Joseph Medical Center in Joliet display a makeshift weapon to the correctional officer who was assigned to that room. And at that time, the offender informed the correctional officer and a certified nurse's assistant that they were being held hostage."
Wilson said Joliet Police were called and the hostage-taking ended with no injuries.
Questions, like how Matthews got a makeshift weapon, are still under investigation. The IDOC is investigating the incident along with Joliet police and hospital staff.
Matthews is serving a 100-year sentence for a DuPage County murder at Stateville, according to IDOC records. He has been in prison since Feb. 24, 2011, and previously served two four-year sentences for robbery and aggravated battery.
(CBS Chicago and Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this copy. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
