Jefferson County deputies catch jail escapee charged with murder
PINE BLUFF, Ark. – Authorities in Jefferson County said the second man who escaped from the county jail last week is now back in custody.
Officials with the Pine Bluff Sheriff’s Office confirmed that 23-year-old Jatonia Bryant was caught by deputies on the east side of Pine Bluff just after 11 a.m. Monday.
Jefferson County on high alert in search for two escaped inmates
Deputies said Bryant was arrested without incident.
One week ago, jailers at the W.C. “Dub” Brassel Detention Center discovered that Bryant and 22-year-old Noah Roush had escaped the facility.
Inmates accused of murder, burglary escape Jefferson Co. jail
Authorities found Roush on Thursday, Jan. 25, after dispatchers got a tip that he was in an abandoned home in the area of Plum and 19th Street in Pine Bluff. Deputies found him nearby after a brief chase.
Bryant was being held on a probable cause of capital murder, while Roush was being held on suspicion of residential burglary and theft of property.
Authorities locate 1 of 2 Jefferson Co. jail escapees, second inmate still at large
Court documents show that both Bryant and Roush are now each facing a charge of felony second-degree escape in addition to their earlier charges.
In a release sent Monday afternoon, officials with the sheriff’s office said an internal investigation into the escape had uncovered that jail staff had not performed an accurate headcount of inmates, which authorities said gave Bryant and Roush a 36-hour head start in getting away from the jail.
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The release went on to say that the failure on the part of the jailers to follow policies and procedures was “not in keeping with the high standards set by the JCSO,” while also pledging that after the investigation, the people involved would be “dealt with accordingly.”
Sheriff Lafayette Woods Jr. added that he sees the escape of the two men as a “catalyst for further capital improvements.” He also noted the dramatic difference in the amount of staff that was previously budgeted for the jail compared to what current staffing allowances are.
“Jefferson County has also very recently made meaningful human resource investments that, given time, will help us retain valued detention employees and more selectively recruit new ones,” Woods said. “Further, previous administrations enjoyed budgets that included 48 jail guard slots. We’re now down to 20, so it is without doubt that even further investment in our detention workforce is warranted.”
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In addition to the new charges against Bryant and Roush, officials with the sheriff’s office said deputies were continuing to investigate to see if criminal charges would be filed against people accused of assisting the escapees to evade law enforcement.
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