PEMBROKE PINES, FLA. (WSVN) - Police are searching for an inmate who escaped from custody in Pembroke Pines.

Thirty-three-year-old John Ireland, an inmate at the Broward County Jail in Fort Lauderdale, is on the run, Wednesday night.

Pembroke Pines Police said Ireland escaped from a state hospital at 800 E. Cypress Drive, at around 4 p.m.

Investigators said Ireland, who is serving a one-year sentence for petit theft and drug possession, climbed over an exterior fence at the hospital and fled on foot.

Detectives said Ireland stands 6 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs around 200 pounds and was last seen wearing a black shirt and black pants.

Police said Ireland has also been in jail for other crimes ranging from battery to grand theft. They said the escaped inmate has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and has a history of violent behavior.

If you have any information on his whereabouts, call Pembroke Pines Police at 954-431-2200 or Broward County Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS.

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