Morgan County Inmate Arrested After Escape Attempt 

JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - A news report posted on wlds.com states that the Jacksonville Police were called in to help Morgan County Sheriff's Office deputies locate and capture an escaped inmate. The report says that law enforcement officers were dispatched to 300 West Court Street at around 5:45 PM when an inmate purportedly ran escaped while mowing the lawn.

According to Morgan County Sheriff Mike Carmody, the 44-year-old inmate was on work detail cutting the lawn and picking up garbage when the inmate escaped custody. Sheriff Carmody said that the inmate had been imprisoned at the jail for over 100 days on several traffic offenses and a theft charge. The Sheriff stated that the inmate earned the privilege of the work detail and was permitted to go outside. Carmody said that the inmate escaped jail on foot.

The Morgan County Deputies, along with the Jacksonville Police, secured a search perimeter, and while the officers were in pursuit of the escaped inmate, the inmate attempted to wave down vehicles for a ride. However, he was but he was not successful in getting a ride out of the area.

The inmate was eventually apprehended approximately 45 minutes into the pursuit. He was captured at around 7:30 PM in 200 block of South West Street, which is only about two and a half blocks from the jail where he was incarcerated.

Sheriff Carmody stated that he, and several deputies with officers from the Jacksonville Police Department, worked as a team to find the escaped inmate. He said that during the course of the investigation, the officers received information as to where the inmate would likely run to, which was where the officers and deputies apprehended the escaped inmate.

The inmate appeared in Morgan County Court and was charged with aggravated escape, which is a Class 2 Felony in Florida.

The inmate has a pre-trial hearing in Morgan County Court this week on charges of theft of displayed merchandise valued at more than $300 and possession of drug paraphernalia. The inmate is also facing charges of operating an uninsured motor vehicle and driving on a suspended license in an earlier arrest. 

Morgan County Circuit Judge Chris Reif increased the inmate's current bond to $150,000 with 10% to apply. The inmate is due in Morgan County Court for his preliminary hearing on an aggravated escape charge.

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