UPDATE at 9:45 a.m. (October 12): Major Jamie Tedford of the Jones County Sheriff's Department said this morning that escaped prisoner Manueal Garcia has not yet been apprehended after he fled from the Jones County jail yesterday. Garcia has been placed on NCIC and all surrounding law enforcement agencies have been alerted to be on the lookout for the escapee.
Original Story (October 11): The Jones County Sheriff's Department is looking for an escaped inmate this evening. According to Major Jamie Tedford, Manueal Garcia escaped this afternoon after he had been brought back to the Jones County jail subsequent to his initial court appearance. His bond had been set in court at $50,000 for several charges, which include introduction of contraband into a correctional facility, possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine, reckless driving, felony fleeing in a motor vehicle, disorderly conduct, providing false information to law enforcement, no driver's license and improper equipment.
Around 6:00 p.m. Garcia was believed to still be in the wooded area around the Jones County jail, which is near Tallahala Creek and has thick vegetation. He fled on foot and was last seen wearing a black and white prisoner outfit with no shoes. Tedford said Garcia, who is about 6-foot-3 and weighs near 230-240 pounds, will be looking for a change of clothes and shoes. Authorities believe he is still in the area, but there is a possibility that he made it to a nearby road, like Paulding Road, and got picked up. His phone records are being searched to see if any calls were made that could indicate that the escape was planned.
Garcia was inside the jail and sitting on a wooden bench near the booking area, after his return from court today. Due to some construction at the jail, a door that would normally be shut was open. Then, as a Justice Court clerk was coming into the jail to deliver some paperwork, the inmate heard the call to "open the slider," which is a sliding door that goes into the jail's sally port. When the slider was opened to let the clerk in, Garcia jumped up and dashed out of the jail through it and the open door.
Tedford said that residents should be on the look-out for Garcia but use extreme caution if you see him. The best course of action is to call 911 if you think you see the escaped inmate. He has a girlfriend who lives near Indian Springs Road, so there is a possibility he may try to make it to her house or try to get picked up on the interstate.
Anyone who aids or abets the escaped prisoner could face felony criminal charges.