Inmate being flown back to Brown County from Los Angeles escapes while hired guard was getting him food at O'Hare, sheriff's office says
Editor's note: This story has been updated to clarify the status of Brown County's use of REDI Transport for criminal case defendants.
GREEN BAY - An inmate being returned to Brown County to face drug charges escaped from an employee of a Green Bay contract transportation business while the officer was getting food for the inmate, according to the sheriff's office.
Tyler James Martinez, 31, was being extradited from Los Angeles to face multiple drug charges in Brown County. He escaped from a Redi Transports employee about 1:10 p.m. Tuesday while in the concourse at Chicago O'Hare International Airport awaiting a connecting flight to Appleton International Airport.
Martinez fled when the Redi Transports employee was purchasing the inmate some food, the Brown County Sheriff's Office announced March 9.
The office has suspended use of Redi Transports for nationwide extraditions pending the outcome of a sheriff's office investigation. Redi — formerly known as Wisconsin Lock & Load — has transported prisoners on behalf of the county since 2007
Martinez left the terminal in a car-rental company shuttle bus, according to a Chicago police review of video recordings at the airport. He was last seen wearing the clothes in which he was arrested: a gray sweatshirt, gray or black sweatpants and dark tennis shoes with no laces. He did not have a phone, authorities said.
Chicago police, using the video, determined that Martinez had freed at least one of his cuffed hands by the time he left the terminal.
Online court records show 2021 charges pending against Martinez alleging three drug felonies: possession of cocaine, possession of methamphetamine and possession of narcotic drugs, all as party to a crime. He faces two misdemeanor charges of possession of an illegally obtained prescription and one of drug paraphernalia possession. He is also suspected of auto theft and burglary to storage units, the Brown County Sheriff's Office said.
Brown County Circuit Judge John Zakowski had issued a warrant for Martinez's arrest Dec. 7 after Martinez failed to show for a court appearance.
Brown County doesn't pay the contractor until the inmate is delivered to the jail.
Martinez was picked up by Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies and was being held in the Los Angeles County Jail where he awaited extradition to Brown.
Contact Doug Schneider at (920) 431-8333, or DSchneid@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @PGDougSchneider.
This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Brown County inmate escapes while being extradited from Los Angeles
