DANBURY, Conn. — A woman who is incarcerated for a firearm offense and for setting fire to a church in Alabama in 2021 successfully escaped from a federal prison in Connecticut for approximately 45 minutes before authorities recaptured her, as confirmed by prison officials on Wednesday.

Xiaoqin Yan, aged 30 and originally from China, has been held at the low-security facility located in Danbury since November 20, where she is currently serving an 8 1/2 year sentence for Possession of a Firearm by an Illegal Alien.

On Tuesday around 7 p.m., staff members at FCI Danbury discovered that a security alert had been triggered indicating the escape of an inmate. Local law enforcement was quickly informed, and they located Yan around 7:45 p.m., subsequently bringing her back to the facility, as stated in a press release from the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Officials at the prison chose not to provide further details regarding the circumstances of the escape and directed inquiries to the statement issued by the prison bureau.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has also been alerted about the incident, and an inquiry is currently ongoing into the escape. Attempts were made to reach out to the attorney who represented Yan during her case in Alabama.

Court documents reveal that Yan, who had overstayed her non-immigrant visa, was not legally permitted to possess a firearm and was convicted of arson. Surveillance footage captured her entering the First Baptist Church of Montgomery in September 2021, carrying two duffel bags and wearing a facemask while services were being conducted. Yan was later observed igniting gasoline in multiple locations throughout the church, resulting in extensive fire damage.

Federal prosecutors noted that Yan had previous interactions with church personnel and displayed odd behavior leading up to the incident.