Prisoner escapes from hospital in Lower Manhattan when officer allegedly leaves post to go to bathroom

LOWER MANHATTAN (WABC) -- A prisoner escaped from a hospital in Lower Manhattan on Sunday night when the officer assigned to guard her allegedly left his post to go to the bathroom.

The Hi Life Bar is a friendly, neighborhood spot on the Upper West Side, but they'd like you to pay your tab. 23-year-old Tiffany Neumann didn't and so they called the police.

It was a simple case, until 25-year-old, 5'5" Neumann became a hunted fugitive.

Police arrested Neumann, but after telling them she was pregnant and not feeling well, they took her to New York Presbyterian Lower Manhattan Medical Center, where doctors said she was not pregnant.

Handcuffed there, she escaped when a police officer stepped away to use a rest room.

"There is no excuse for it, it's embarrassing, she is not a mastermind criminal, it's just clearly due to inattentiveness and carelessness. So, the police officer was suspended last night," said Chief James O'Neill, NYPD.

Neumann is the fourth person in NYPD custody this summer to escape from police.

Remember the video of 23-year-old Tareek Arnold running in handcuffs away as out of breath police officers tried to catch him? Arnold was wanted for attempted murder and wasn't caught for a month.

57-year-old Arthur Collins escaped from a holding cell at the 25th precinct. He was caught in possession of a gun silencer.

Earlier this month, 25-year-old Austin Stephenson escaped as he was being escorted into the 23rd precinct on charges of criminal trespass. The police commissioner is getting tired of it.

"I'll make that very clear by the way that punishments that we will be putting in place for these type of events is going to be significant. Once we have a person in our custody our responsibility is the care and custody of that individual, and I will not tolerate as police commissioner these continued lapses in what should be basic policing," Police Commissioner William Bratton said.

The suspect has six prior arrests, and police believe she was headed back to Los Angeles later this week. She is not considered dangerous. She has no cell phone, and is likely roaming the streets. Her family says she has a history of mental illness.

She is facing the previous charges of petit larceny, criminal possession of stolen property and theft of service. Additional charges will be pending upon her arrest.

Anyone with information on the case is asked to call 800-577-TIPS.