Arrestee’s escape through bathroom ceiling fails

SIOUX CITY — A South Sioux City man’s attempt to escape from police custody came crashing down when he fell through the ceiling tiles in a hospital restroom.

Sioux City police arrested Harold Tyndall, 33, Wednesday on an outstanding warrant for violating terms of his pretrial release in a previous criminal case.

Prior to being booked into the Woodbury County Jail, Tyndall complained of an injury he had suffered in a car accident a week earlier, so officers took him to a Sioux City hospital. According to court documents, while at the hospital, Tyndall asked to use the restroom. Police removed his handcuffs and checked on him every few minutes.

While Tyndall was in the restroom, he attempted to escape by crawling into the ceiling tiles. He fell through the tiles and onto the floor, causing extensive damage, court documents said.

Tyndall was booked into jail on a $5,000 bond on a charge of escape from custody and a $10,000 bond for his other case, in which he is charged with second-degree theft and possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested in October after being found driving a stolen vehicle. He had posted bond in December and did not comply with terms of his release, prompting a judge to revoke his release and issue a warrant for his arrest.