AKRON, Ohio (WJW) — The manhunt for an escaped inmate came to an end Wednesday morning.
Jason Lyle Conrad was captured by authorities Wednesday morning, FOX 8 News has confirmed.
Pete Elliott, U.S. Marshal for the Northern District of Ohio, said marshals apprehended Conrad near train tracks along North Arlington Street and East North Street in Akron after “a brief foot pursuit.”
He was caught just after 9:30 a.m., according to Summit County Sheriff Kandy Featheree. Conrad was spotted by surveillance officers and an Ohio State Highway Patrol plane attempting to flee near Aqueduct Street, according to a news release.
Conrad was transported to the Summit County jail. He is expected to face a new charge of escape.
“Safety in the communities we serve is one of the most important parts of our jobs,” Elliott is quoted in a news release from the task force. “Knowing this fugitive is off the streets makes the city of Akron a safer place and the U.S. Marshals Service will not give up searching until fugitives like this are behind bars.”
Conrad had been on the run since Tuesday morning at about 8 a.m. when he overpowered a sheriff’s deputy outside of Summa Health White Pond Medical Center along Park West Boulevard. Conrad was being transported for a medical appointment and escaped on foot into a heavily wooded area, the Summit County Sheriff’s Office said.
He was previously sighted in the Akron area, according to Elliott. He said Conrad was able to free himself from his handcuffs and orange jumpsuit and he was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and blue shorts.
The Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force worked with “dozens of tips” and did several interviews in tracking Conrad, Elliott said. On Wednesday morning, a tipster reported seeing Conrad riding a bike near Aqueduct and Market streets, according to a news release from the task force.
The sheriff’s office said the 39-year-old was being transferred from a transport vehicle when he escaped. The area is on the western edge of Akron where Akron, Copley and Fairlawn meet.
There was only one deputy working that transport, sources confirmed to FOX 8 News.
Conrad was being held on charges that include willful fleeing, possession of drugs, trafficking in drugs and a parole violation.
None of the charges would typically be considered “violent crimes,” but officials said he is a violent person.
“Look, this is a violent individual with a history of drugs, gun violations, and parole violations. We want to get him off the streets as soon as possible,” Elliott said earlier in the search.
Officials offered a reward of at least $1,000 for information on his whereabouts.