Men tunnel out of Newport News jail cell, then are found at IHOP
Two Newport News inmates tunneled through their jail cell’s wall and escaped Monday afternoon, law enforcement officials said, only to be found hours later at an IHOP restaurant in Hampton.
John Michael Garza, 37, and Arley Vaughn Nemo, 43, were missing from a routine headcount at the Newport News Jail Annex about 7:15 p.m. Monday. Jail staff later discovered they had burrowed through the wall of their cell. The tunnel led to the exterior of the building and the men made it over the security wall, the sheriff’s office said in a news release.
A spokesperson for the Newport News Sheriff’s Office could not immediately be reached for comment about the inmates’ manner of escape Tuesday morning.
Garza, of Hampton, had been in jail since Dec. 19 on charges of contempt of court, probation violations and failure to appear. Nemo, of Gloucester, had been in custody since Oct. 7 on charges including credit card fraud, credit card larceny, forgery, possession of burglary tools, grand larceny, contempt of court and a probation violation, according to the sheriff’s office.
Law enforcement sought the public’s help in apprehending them in the hours after their escape. Hampton police arrested the men around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday after they were found sitting at a table at a restaurant in the 1000 block of Mercury Boulevard, according to police spokesperson Ernest Williams.
Williams said the pair gave themselves up peacefully, adding that Hampton police received a tip from someone at the restaurant who had seen them in news reports. A spokesperson with the Newport News Sheriff’s Office confirmed the men were arrested at an IHOP restaurant.
Gavin Stone, 757-712-4806, gavin.stone@virginiamedia.com
