UPDATE: Escaped patient found this morning in Madison Lake
Aug. 26—MANKATO — The patient who escaped a group outing Thursday in Mankato was back in custody this morning and will be returned to the St. Peter Regional Treatment Center.
Jesse Nikolas Rowland, 31, is a court committed patient in St. Peter and was on a supervised outing at River Hills Mall when he left around 2 p.m. Rowland walked off from the group and staff, said Justin Neumann, a commander with the Mankato Department of Public Safety, during a media briefing Friday.
Police asked for help in locating him late Thursday, issuing a news release describing Rowland as "mentally ill and dangerous." People who saw him were advised to call 911 rather than approach him.
Blue Earth County dispatch received a tip from someone who saw Rowland at a gas station in Madison Lake, leading sheriff's deputies to find him near Bray Park around 6:50 a.m. today, Neumann said.
A release from the Mankato Department of Public Safety thanked the community for tips on the case.
Rowland faces a potential felony for escape from custody.
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