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Federal manhunt: Escaped inmate bangs on door of Framingham woman

FRAMINGHAM, Mass. — The search for an escaped prisoner has focused in on Framingham.

According to police in the area, detectives found surveillance video showing a man matching James Morales' description walking in downtown Framingham early Sunday.

Later in the day, someone reported a a vehicle found in a parking lot on Gordon Street with blood in it.

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Framingham police say that car was turned over to the U.S. Marshals. Federal agents then began staking out a home on Irving Street.

Vanessa Luco, who lives on the first floor of the home, said that Morales banged on her door.

"He was banging pretty loud...it seemed like someone was really mad," Luco said. Morales was able to break down a back door, but never fully made it inside.

>> Scroll down for Stephanie Coueignoux's full interview with the woman who said an escaped prisoner knocked on her door

Luco said she never answered the door and didn't realize a fugitive had been knocking until federal investigators showed up. Luco did look outside and see Morales, who she said had changed out of his prison apparel and looked relatively clean.

FOX25 was told Morales may have been in the neighborhood and may have knocked on the door of his ex-girlfriend.

Morales, 35, was discovered missing from the Wyatt Detention Facility at 11:30 p.m. Saturday and later is presumed to have stolen a car in Attleboro and fled the area.


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Framingham police couldn't confirm if the car found was the one stolen in Attleboro but did say it had blood in it and had been turned over to U.S. Marshals. It was found on Gordon Street in a parking lot a block from the home on Irving Street.

Tenants say Morales' ex-girlfriend and her two kids were taken away from the area to keep them safe.

Morales is described as a 6-foot-1-inch, 180-pound African-American with brown eyes and black hair. The Marshals say Morales also has a large eagle tattoo on the left side of his neck and was bald at the time of his escape Saturday night.

Police say U.S. Marshals tracked Morales into Massachusetts and found his discarded prison clothing. According to Marshals, Morales stole a car from the parking lot at a BK Mart on Route One in Attleboro Saturday night.

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VANESSA LUCO DESCRIBES JAMES MORALES TRYING TO GET INTO HER HOME: