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| Robert Wesley James |
An Etowah County inmate who escaped while on work detail
Wednesday afternoon was back in custody before midnight. During his six hours on the loose,
investigators said 41-year-old Robert Wesley James stole a truck, bought a beer,
wrecked the truck, and was captured behind a strip club.
Jail records show James was booked into the Etowah County Jail in January 2013 for property crimes and a misdemeanor drug offense. As a non-violent offender, he was eligible for work detail after 30 days. James became the county's second inmate this year to escape during work detail.
James was one of three inmates who assisted a county maintenance worker Wednesday in making repairs to the heating and cooling system at the judicial building, next door to the jail and at the end of the shift he fled in a county maintainance truck.
A few hours later, an off-duty corrections officer went to the Jet-Pep gas station in Rainbow City. He spotted James inside. Entrekin said James had removed the orange Department of Corrections shirt worn while on work detail, and was in a plain white undershirt. The deputy saw James "buy a single beer and then get back into the county truck that he had stolen,.
Deputies headed to the gas station and began a pursuit along Highway 411 and Interstate 759. Seven miles later, James wrecked at a Jet-Pep station in Attalla. James bailed out of the vehicle and ran behind the Gentleman's Club next to the gas station, where deputies took him into custody.
James faces additional charges for first, second, and third degree theft, escape, attempting to elude, and resisting arrest. The sheriff said James will not be eligible for work detail in the future, and will likely be sent to a state prison
The sheriff's office issued an alert to deputies and local media, and
investigators began to look for leads.Jail records show James was booked into the Etowah County Jail in January 2013 for property crimes and a misdemeanor drug offense. As a non-violent offender, he was eligible for work detail after 30 days. James became the county's second inmate this year to escape during work detail.
James was one of three inmates who assisted a county maintenance worker Wednesday in making repairs to the heating and cooling system at the judicial building, next door to the jail and at the end of the shift he fled in a county maintainance truck.
A few hours later, an off-duty corrections officer went to the Jet-Pep gas station in Rainbow City. He spotted James inside. Entrekin said James had removed the orange Department of Corrections shirt worn while on work detail, and was in a plain white undershirt. The deputy saw James "buy a single beer and then get back into the county truck that he had stolen,.
Deputies headed to the gas station and began a pursuit along Highway 411 and Interstate 759. Seven miles later, James wrecked at a Jet-Pep station in Attalla. James bailed out of the vehicle and ran behind the Gentleman's Club next to the gas station, where deputies took him into custody.
James faces additional charges for first, second, and third degree theft, escape, attempting to elude, and resisting arrest. The sheriff said James will not be eligible for work detail in the future, and will likely be sent to a state prison
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