AMERICUS, Ga. — Two inmates accused of violent crimes are back in custody after slipping out of a south Georgia jail through what officials say was an improperly secured maintenance door.
Ricky Martin, 20, and Kentravious Holmes, 21, escaped from the Sumter County Jail in Americus around 9:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, according to the Associated Press.
The two men were being held on charges that include murder, aggravated assault and aggravated battery.
Sumter County Sheriff Eric Bryant said it appears the inmates made their escape through a ceiling maintenance door that was not properly locked. From there, they accessed the HVAC system and managed to get outside the facility. Investigators initially worked to determine where the pair fled and contacted their family members as part of the search.
In a statement on Feb. 12, the sheriff’s office announced that Martin and Holmes were located at a residence on 1st Montgomery Street in Americus. Both men were taken into custody without incident. A third individual was also detained at the scene.
Bryant thanked multiple agencies for their assistance in the capture, including the Georgia Bureau of Investigation Region 3 office, Georgia State Patrol, U.S. Marshals, the Southeast Regional Fugitive Task Force in Albany, the Colquitt County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team and the Americus Police Department, along with Sumter County deputies.
Bryant also thanked residents of Sumter County and southwest Georgia for their “cooperation and patience” as law enforcement worked to apprehend the fugitives.
Officials have not yet released additional details about how the maintenance door was left unsecured or whether any internal review or policy changes will follow.
This article, orignially published on Feb. 12, has been updated to reflect the escapees have been recaptured.
