ST. LOUIS — Three trespassers had to be rescued by police Thursday night after accidentally locking themselves in a jail cell inside a shuttered city jail.
St. Louis police spokesperson Sgt. Charles Wall said officers responded to the Medium Security Institution, colloquially known as the "Workhouse," after the three men called 911 for help.
Police helped free the men from a cell and then arrested them.
Wall said the men face possible charges for property damage, burglary and stealing. An investigation is ongoing.
The jail, located at 7600 Hall Street, has sat empty for more than a year. The last inmates were moved out in May 2022, about a year after St. Louis Mayor Tishaura Jones announced it would close amid allegations of inhumane conditions.
A steering committee overseeing the facility's future has been tasked with narrowing down new uses for the site to recommend to city leaders. The results of a community survey were released in August, and the committee is planning a second survey to further narrow down the choices.
