A New Mexico man wanted on several active warrants stunned deputies and hospital staff after climbing into the ceiling of a hospital bathroom while he was supposed to be receiving medical treatment in police custody.
In bodycam footage published by EWU Bodycam, 60-year-old Steven Byers was shown trying to escape from Lovelace Hospital in Albuquerque after deputies arrested him on multiple warrants involving larceny, vehicle theft, evidence tampering, and contracting without a license.
The channel’s host described the incident as one of the more unusual custody escapes caught on video. Byers did not run through a hallway, force open a door, or try to slip away in a crowd. Instead, he used a trash can to climb into the ceiling, crawled through the hospital’s overhead space, and caused thousands of dollars in damage before deputies found him hiding in a cramped wall cavity.
Byers later pleaded guilty to escape or attempted escape from the custody of a peace officer, along with two counts of larceny. According to EWU Bodycam, he was sentenced to four years and six months in the New Mexico Department of Corrections, followed by one year of parole.
Deputies Arrest Him Outside His Home
The incident began on Feb. 9, 2024, when Bernalillo County deputies arrived at Byers’ home to take him into custody.
EWU Bodycam said Byers was wanted on multiple active warrants and was caught just as he appeared to be leaving the property. The footage shows him asking deputies to let him put his dogs away before he was taken to a patrol vehicle.
Deputies searched him and found tinfoil along with a small container holding 42 blue pills, according to the channel’s narration.
Byers repeatedly begged officers to let him handle the dogs, saying they would listen to him. The gate to the property was locked, and the keys were inside a truck, forcing deputies to work around barking animals while trying to safely secure the scene.
At one point, Byers moved his handcuffs from behind his back to the front. When a deputy asked why, he said he had been panicking and could not breathe.
The deputy warned him not to do it again but allowed the cuffs to remain in front temporarily so he could help get the dogs inside the yard.
That decision was understandable in the moment. Byers had appeared cooperative, the dogs needed to be secured, and deputies were trying to prevent another safety issue from developing.
But it also became one of several moments showing why officers later said they had underestimated his willingness to escape.
Chest Pain Sends Him To The Hospital
After the arrest, Byers complained of chest pain and trouble breathing.
EWU Bodycam said deputies took him to Lovelace Hospital for medical treatment, where staff gave him nitroglycerin. The medication can cause nausea, and Byers eventually asked to use the restroom.
A deputy asked him directly if he planned to do anything “stupid” or try to run.
Byers said no.
The first restroom visit appeared normal. The channel’s narration said he could be heard vomiting behind the door before returning to custody without incident.
Because that first trip went smoothly, there was little immediate concern when he later asked to use the restroom again.
That second visit changed the entire situation.
A Strange Sound Above The Bathroom
After several minutes, a hospital staff member heard an unusual noise coming from above the restroom.
“Steven, you all right?” a deputy called out.
Then someone noticed the sound was coming from the ceiling.
“He’s in the ceiling,” a staff member said.
The reaction in the footage is a mix of disbelief and urgency. Deputies and hospital employees realized Byers had somehow climbed above the bathroom and was moving through the overhead space.
Hospital staff began moving patients out of nearby rooms in case he fell through the ceiling.
When security unlocked the bathroom door, officers found the clue explaining how he got up there: Byers had overturned a trash can, climbed on top of it, and pushed through a ceiling tile.
The channel host noted that Byers had managed to turn a simple bathroom break into a full-scale search through the hospital’s ceiling system.
It was a reckless plan, but it briefly worked. Byers had moved far enough through the ceiling that officers were unsure whether he was still above them or had found another way out.
Crawling Through The Ceiling
Deputies searched the ceiling space while hospital personnel tried to determine where Byers had gone.
One officer climbed a ladder and looked into the open ceiling area, where insulation had been pulled away and ceiling panels had been damaged.
The footage showed just how dangerous the escape attempt was. Ceiling spaces are not built for people to crawl through, especially someone moving quickly while trying to avoid police.
A fall could have injured Byers, a patient, or hospital staff below. Broken ceiling panels, pipes, and insulation also created a major safety and cleanup problem.
Hospital staff later estimated the damage at about $20,000, according to EWU Bodycam.
The damage figure is a reminder that an attempted escape can create consequences far beyond the new charge itself. A person may think they are only trying to avoid jail for a few minutes, but they can end up causing expensive destruction and putting strangers at risk.
Deputies Find Him Hiding In A Wall Cavity
After a search through the ceiling area, one deputy found Byers crouched in a small hidden space.
He was curled up in a fetal position, apparently realizing the escape attempt had failed.
“That was stupid, huh?” the deputy asked.
“Yeah, I tried,” Byers replied.
When the deputy asked why he had done it, Byers said he got scared.
The response was brief, but it summed up the entire incident. Byers had been cooperative for parts of the arrest, had asked for medical care, and had repeatedly promised not to do anything unusual.
Then, once he saw an opening, he tried to disappear into the ceiling.
The deputy told him he was now facing even more charges. Byers insisted he was not violent, but officers made it clear that his word no longer meant much after the escape attempt.
“I don’t really give a [expletive] about your word right now,” one officer told him.
That may sound harsh, but it was a natural response after deputies had trusted him twice and then found him moving through hospital ceilings.
Back In Handcuffs And Back To Jail
Byers had to climb back through the opening he used to enter the ceiling.
Deputies positioned themselves around him and repeatedly told him to turn around and put his hands behind his back. Once he was secured again, another deputy carefully climbed out of the cramped ceiling space.
The footage showed the deputy squeezing through the opening and making it down safely after the search.
Byers was eventually discharged from the hospital and permanently trespassed from the facility, according to EWU Bodycam.
The channel also said police records noted that hospital staff had been monitoring him for medical concerns before the escape attempt. Byers later claimed he had stomach issues and diarrhea, but deputies were clearly skeptical after seeing him climb through the roof.
The incident illustrates how quickly a routine hospital transport can become a major security problem.
Most people under arrest who need medical care are treated as medical patients first, even while they remain in custody. But situations like this show the difficult balance deputies face between respecting someone’s health needs and guarding against an escape.
A Long Criminal History And A Longer Sentence
EWU Bodycam said Byers had a criminal history stretching back decades, including fraud, forgery, and other convictions.
The channel reported that after the hospital escape attempt, he accepted a plea deal and pleaded guilty to escape or attempted escape from the custody of a peace officer and two larceny counts.
He received a sentence of four years and six months in state prison, followed by one year of parole.
The original warrants were serious enough on their own. But Byers’ decision to climb into the hospital ceiling added new legal trouble, property damage, and a dramatic bodycam story that likely made the case even harder to defend.
His escape lasted only a short time. The fallout will last much longer.
Byers may have thought the ceiling offered him a hidden route out of custody. Instead, it became the place where his attempted escape collapsed, both literally and legally.
A former park ranger and wildlife conservationist, Lisa’s passion for survival started with her deep connection to nature. Raised on a small farm in northern Wisconsin, she learned how to grow her own food, raise livestock, and live off the land. Lisa is our dedicated Second Amendment news writer and also focuses on homesteading, natural remedies, and survival strategies. Lisa aims to help others live more sustainably and prepare for the unexpected.
