An NYPD officer has been suspended without pay after reportedly falling asleep while guarding a suspect who escaped from a New York hospital earlier this week. The man, 36-year-old Stephen Blasetti, had been under watch at Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He was earlier arrested and charged with grand larceny after allegedly stealing two boats while completely naked from a marina on Manhattan’s Dyckman Street. According to police, Blasetti managed to leave the hospital around 6.30 am on Wednesday after changing into a white lab coat and blue hospital trousers, but no shoes. He has not been found since. The NYPD confirmed that the officer assigned to monitor him has been suspended as the department reviews the incident, reported New York Post. Blasetti made headlines after allegedly stripping and jumping into a small sailboat on Saturday afternoon. When officers from the NYPD Harbor Patrol tried to stop him, he reportedly swam to a larger catamaran in the river. He was arrested there and taken to hospital for a mental health check. Police believe he may have been under the influence of methamphetamines during the incident. He is still on the run.
