Escaped psychiatric patient charged following manhunt in Orange County

MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. (NEWS10) — A psychiatric patient from Garnet Health Medical Center has been charged after escaping from the facility, New York State Police announced on Friday. Christopher Morgan, 40, of Port Jervis faces multiple felonies.

On Thursday, New York State Police announced a search for a patient that had escaped from Garnet Health Medical Facility in Middletown following an alleged violent incident. According to officials, Morgan had attacked a 74-year-old employee at the medical facility.

During the incident, Morgan allegedly removed the employee's hospital ID access card and used it to escape from the center's behavioral health unit and flee the hospital on foot. New York State Police, with assistance from local law enforcement, searched the surrounding area but were unsuccessful in locating the suspect, officials said.

On Friday, Morgan was reportedly found and arrested near 291 East Main Street in Port Jervis before being turned over to State Police custody and charged with second-degree robbery. According to officials, he was also charged with making a terroristic threat in connection to an incident on Feb. 22, when he allegedly used a phone at Garnet Health Medical Center to call in bomb threats to multiple Orange County law enforcement agencies.

Morgan was arraigned on Friday in Middletown Court and remanded to the Orange County Jail. Bail was set at $250,000 cash, $500,000 bond or $750,000 partially secured bond.