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Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Escaped Chatham inmate still on loose
Updated: 02/05/2008 07:17 PM
By: Heather Moore
http://news14.com/content/headlines/592547/escaped-chatham-inmate-still-on-loose/Default.aspx
Inmate escape
Chatham County sheriff’s deputies are trying to recapture Stewart Wendell Baldwin. He’s one of five inmates who escaped from the Chatham County Jail Monday night.
PITTSBORO, N.C. -- Chatham County sheriff’s deputies are trying to recapture Stewart Wendell Baldwin, one of five inmates who escaped from the Chatham County Jail on Monday night. Officers have already captured the other four.
"I don't think he's a danger to the public unless he's approached," said Maj. Gary Blankenship of Baldwin. "I think he's trying to get away."
Baldwin is 30 years old, six feet tall, and weighs about 250 pounds with cornrows in his hair. He was being held in the Chatham County Jail for felonious drug charges and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Investigators say he has family in Northern Chatham County, Chapel Hill, and Carborro, but since his escape, investigators haven't been able to find him.
Stewart Baldwin "Right now it's a needle in a haystack," added Maj. Blankenship. "It's quite possible he may have made it out of our perimeter."
By daylight Tuesday, officers had already captured four of the five escaped inmates. Pittsboro police captured 16-year-old James Austin Tarrer of Pittsboro shortly after the escape Monday night. Three others were captured early Tuesday morning at a roadblock. Adrian Carlos Reyes, 24, of Chapel Hill, Brian Blackwell, 32, of Carrboro, and Kyle Evan Kettey, 22, of Pittsboro, had asked an acquaintance for a ride to Chapel Hill.
Reyes was being held for first-degree rape and felonious indecent liberties with a minor; Blackwell was being held for felonious drug charges; and, Kettey was being held for felonious breaking and entering and larceny.
After their capture, they were brought back to the same jail they escaped from. All three appeared to be suffering from minor injuries; two were limping and one had a bandaged finger and blood stains on his pants. They were then turned over to the N.C. Department of Corrections for safekeeping.
Meanwhile, the manhunt continued for Baldwin. Officers set up road blocks, checked people's cars, and searched the area with trained tracking dogs.
The sheriff’s office even asked Chatham County Schools to delay the school day for seven schools, including Northwood High, Horton Middle, Pittsboro Elementary, Moncure School, North Chatham School, Perry Harrison School, and Pittsboro Pre-School. They all opened on a two-hour delay.
Officers and school administrators say the delay was just a precaution and allowed law enforcement a little more time in the morning to search for Baldwin with less traffic on the roads.
“Just being precautious,"� explained Charles Aiken, principal of Moncure School for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. He said the school system wanted to make parents and students feel more comfortable and have children dropped off in the daylight.
While officers continued their search for Baldwin, investigators at the sheriff's office tried to figure out exactly how the inmates escaped and how they can prevent it from happening again in the future.
Investigators say in order to escape, the inmates overpowered the only two guards working inside the prison. It happened during the nightly lockdown. Maj. Blankenship said the five inmates knocked out the detention officers, locked them in their own handcuffs, and then stole their keys to escape through a locked door. They then scaled a 10-foot fence, using a coat draped over the top to protect them from razor wire.
"When these things happen, you have to evaluate what occurred down there and part of it is looking at our internal security system," explained Maj. Blankenship. "We are going to look at it, find out if there were any breakdowns, and if so, deal with it."
The sheriff's office is examining all of its internal security, including how many guards are on duty, surveillance systems, even the jail building itself.
"There are some structural issues, security issues," said Maj. Blankenship said of the 25-year-old jail building. "There are areas where the detention officer cannot see and we believe that may have played a role."
Authorities didn't know about the jail break until 15 to 20 minutes after it happened. Investigators say a sheriff's deputy discovered there was a problem at the jail when he tried to drop off a new prisoner and could not get in touch with the detention officers on duty.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Stewart Baldwin, you're asked to call 911 and report it immediately.
Escaped Chatham inmate still on loose
Updated: 02/05/2008 07:17 PM
By: Heather Moore
http://news14.com/content/headlines/592547/escaped-chatham-inmate-still-on-loose/Default.aspx
Inmate escape
Chatham County sheriff’s deputies are trying to recapture Stewart Wendell Baldwin. He’s one of five inmates who escaped from the Chatham County Jail Monday night.
PITTSBORO, N.C. -- Chatham County sheriff’s deputies are trying to recapture Stewart Wendell Baldwin, one of five inmates who escaped from the Chatham County Jail on Monday night. Officers have already captured the other four.
"I don't think he's a danger to the public unless he's approached," said Maj. Gary Blankenship of Baldwin. "I think he's trying to get away."
Baldwin is 30 years old, six feet tall, and weighs about 250 pounds with cornrows in his hair. He was being held in the Chatham County Jail for felonious drug charges and possession of a firearm by a felon.
Investigators say he has family in Northern Chatham County, Chapel Hill, and Carborro, but since his escape, investigators haven't been able to find him.
Stewart Baldwin "Right now it's a needle in a haystack," added Maj. Blankenship. "It's quite possible he may have made it out of our perimeter."
By daylight Tuesday, officers had already captured four of the five escaped inmates. Pittsboro police captured 16-year-old James Austin Tarrer of Pittsboro shortly after the escape Monday night. Three others were captured early Tuesday morning at a roadblock. Adrian Carlos Reyes, 24, of Chapel Hill, Brian Blackwell, 32, of Carrboro, and Kyle Evan Kettey, 22, of Pittsboro, had asked an acquaintance for a ride to Chapel Hill.
Reyes was being held for first-degree rape and felonious indecent liberties with a minor; Blackwell was being held for felonious drug charges; and, Kettey was being held for felonious breaking and entering and larceny.
After their capture, they were brought back to the same jail they escaped from. All three appeared to be suffering from minor injuries; two were limping and one had a bandaged finger and blood stains on his pants. They were then turned over to the N.C. Department of Corrections for safekeeping.
Meanwhile, the manhunt continued for Baldwin. Officers set up road blocks, checked people's cars, and searched the area with trained tracking dogs.
The sheriff’s office even asked Chatham County Schools to delay the school day for seven schools, including Northwood High, Horton Middle, Pittsboro Elementary, Moncure School, North Chatham School, Perry Harrison School, and Pittsboro Pre-School. They all opened on a two-hour delay.
Officers and school administrators say the delay was just a precaution and allowed law enforcement a little more time in the morning to search for Baldwin with less traffic on the roads.
“Just being precautious,"� explained Charles Aiken, principal of Moncure School for children in kindergarten through eighth grade. He said the school system wanted to make parents and students feel more comfortable and have children dropped off in the daylight.
While officers continued their search for Baldwin, investigators at the sheriff's office tried to figure out exactly how the inmates escaped and how they can prevent it from happening again in the future.
Investigators say in order to escape, the inmates overpowered the only two guards working inside the prison. It happened during the nightly lockdown. Maj. Blankenship said the five inmates knocked out the detention officers, locked them in their own handcuffs, and then stole their keys to escape through a locked door. They then scaled a 10-foot fence, using a coat draped over the top to protect them from razor wire.
"When these things happen, you have to evaluate what occurred down there and part of it is looking at our internal security system," explained Maj. Blankenship. "We are going to look at it, find out if there were any breakdowns, and if so, deal with it."
The sheriff's office is examining all of its internal security, including how many guards are on duty, surveillance systems, even the jail building itself.
"There are some structural issues, security issues," said Maj. Blankenship said of the 25-year-old jail building. "There are areas where the detention officer cannot see and we believe that may have played a role."
Authorities didn't know about the jail break until 15 to 20 minutes after it happened. Investigators say a sheriff's deputy discovered there was a problem at the jail when he tried to drop off a new prisoner and could not get in touch with the detention officers on duty.
If you have any information on the whereabouts of Stewart Baldwin, you're asked to call 911 and report it immediately.