UPDATE 7:40PM: According to the Kansas Department of Corrections at approximately 5:30 PM, Drew Edward Wade, who escaped from the Ottawa County jail earlier today, was apprehended in North Platte, Nebraska. Drew E. Wade, 21, was in the stolen Chevy Venture van.
The North Platte Police Department has also reported to the North Platte Post that they have reason to believe the two escaped inmates that are still at large are on the run in North Platte. They are believed to be on foot.
At 8:25 PM a large contingent of law enforcement and canines were seen searching the area of the South Platte River, in North Platte, NE.
UPDATE: Ottawa County Sheriff Keith Coleman has reported that the inmates distracted the guards by claiming there was a water line leak in their cell. The inmates then injured three guards and threatened the 911 dispatcher. They gained entry to the main control room and escaped out of the front door.
Authorities also said a Minneapolis resident was stabbed in the face when the inmates stole his car.
None of the injuries were thought to be severe, but one person was transferred to Salina Regional Hospital.
The Ottawa County Jail in Minneapolis passed an inspection before it was allowed to house prison inmates, Department of Corrections spokesman Jeremy Barclay said. The four men who escaped were among 22 inmates transferred to the jail in January from the Ellsworth Correctional Facility.
As of Friday, there were 87 inmates being housed in county jails under contracts to help alleviate the prison’s overcrowding, Barclay said.
UPDATE: Four inmates escaped from the Ottawa County Jail in Minneapolis, Wednesday morning.
The Kansas Highway Patrol issued a bulletin a little before 6 AM, requesting that law enforcement across the state be on the lookout for the men who escaped shortly before 5 AM.
One of the men was apprehended, but three others are still at large.
- 22-year-old Santos Carrera – 5’9″, shaved head, goatee.
- 22-year-old Eric James – light-skinned black male, cornrows
- 21-year-old Drew Wade -shaved head, glasses
All of the men should be considered very dangerous and may be carrying knives. According to the Kansas Department of Corrections Offender information, Carrera was convicted of first-degree murder in 2008; Wade was convicted in 2009 for one count robbery and one count of aggravated burglary; James was convicted in 2008 of three counts of aggravated burglary and one count of kidnapping in commission of a crime.
All three men had recently been transferred from the Ellsworth Correctional Facility.
UPDATE: The Kansas Highway Patrol is now looking for two vehicles possibly connected with the escaped inmates. A brown or gold 2002 Nissan Altima (Tag: 649-CII), and a 2005 silver Chevy Venture van (Tag: 854-DZQ).