By Michael D. Pitman
Dayton Daily News
LEBANON, Ohio — An inmate who escaped from the Warren County Courthouse Thursday afternoon was captured following a nearly four-hour search.
Warren County sheriff’s deputies captured Arlie James Gilbert, 20, of Lebanon, around 7:15 p.m. at the Concord Square Apartments on the corner of Cincinnati Avenue and West Street.
Several police agencies, and K9 and air units were involved in the search, which ended about two miles from the courthouse.
Gilbert escaped at about 3:30 p.m. while being led from a court appearance to a prisoner transport van. Warren County Sheriff’s Chief Deputy John Newsom said the department will conduct an internal review to determine why and how he escaped.
Newsom said there could have been too many inmates being led to the prisoner transport van.
However, he was uncertain how many others were being transported at that time.
“We’ll look to improve our system,” he said.
Gilbert had escaped in jail clothes and was in handcuffs, but he was wearing clean clothes and the handcuffs were removed when he was found.
Newsom did not say who Gilbert was with when he was captured. He said deputies were responding to a tip when they went to the apartment complex.
Gilbert will face an escape charge along with the charges that resulted in his Thursday court appearance in Warren County Court.
He was scheduled to appear in court Thursday afternoon on three charges, a felony burglary charge out of Warren County Area Court, and underage consumption and open container violations out of Morrow Mayor’s Court, according to court records.
He was arraigned earlier in the morning in Mason Municipal Court on a third-degree burglary charge, and is scheduled to appear on May 15 in Mason Municipal Court, according to court records.
Newsom didn’t know how much jail time could accompany the escape charge, which is a felony, but said, “I don’t think he’ll be out for a while.”
Expenses incurred during the search for Gilbert are likely to be applied to his fines, jail sentence and/ or probation.
“I’m sure the judge will take that into consideration,” Newsom said.
Copyright 2012 Dayton Newspapers, Inc.