Inmate back in custody following flight from work-release

A Cape Girardeau inmate enjoyed less than an hour of freedom following an escape from a work-release program before being arrested Thursday afternoon.

Police were notified around 11:49 a.m. that Thomas White, 24, walked away from the recycling center where he had been working as part of a program with the jail, police spokesman Jason Selzer said.

White was being housed at the Cape Girardeau Police Department jail for convictions on failures to appear for harassment, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Witnesses told police a man doing community service at the center complained he was ill and left early for the day, Selzer said. The man opened the trunk to his car, White jumped in, and the two drove off.

"It was a coordinated effort," Selzer said of the escape.

A police officer later spotted the vehicle White escaped in, a Dodge Neon, and stopped the car at Crestwood and Cape Rock drives around 12:23 p.m., Selzer said. White, who had changed from his orange prison jumpsuit into street clothes, fled from the car but was caught six minutes later.

The Dodge, which left the traffic stop, was found parked near Grandview and Kingsway drives at 1:05 p.m., and officers tracked down and arrested the driver, Selzer said.

No charges against White for the escape were filed as of Thursday, but they would be pursued, according to Selzer. Before his escape, White was scheduled to be released from the jail July 18 following his 20-day sentence.

White's alleged accomplice, Devin Eastman, 17, of 1450 Kingsway Drive, received a summons for aiding the escape of a prisoner and driving while suspended.

According to the inmates at the recycling center, Eastman was being paid by a parolee to perform required community service, Selzer said. While he could not confirm that allegation, Selzer did state that Eastman was not the parolee who should have been working at the recycling center.

Inmates who are released from the jail for work are non-violent offenders who do not pose a danger to the community, Selzer said. They are not supervised by officers during the work release, and police normally see about one or two escapes a year, he said.

kmorrison@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127