CINCINNATI — Hamilton County Sheriff’s deputies are searching for inmates that escaped from custody Sunday, our news partners in Cincinnati WCPO reports.
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James Johnson, 44, escaped from University Hospital early Sunday morning, July 3, around 5:20 a.m., investigators say. Johnson was being held on a felony drug possession charge, as well as a holder for falsification from another county.
He was not being held on any charges of violence when he escaped from the hospital, the sheriff’s office told WCPO.
Johnson has a history of prior charges, including drug possession.
McGuffey said on Monday that Johnson was re-captured Monday afternoon.
The other inmate, Patrick Thomas, escaped from the Talbert House on Reading on Sunday around 5:15 p.m., WCPO said. Investigators said he broke a third-floor window, then climbed down to the street using bed sheets he tied together.
Thomas was being held on a warrant from Kentucky and his prior history indicates he should be considered dangerous, WCPO reports. He is a 32-year old black male, listed as 5′6″ and 160 pounds and has the letter, “P,” tattooed on his forehead.
McGuffey said Thomas tunneled through the drywall in the minimum security jail, concealed the damage with a locker and bed and made his escape when a guard went down for dinner. The window through which Thomas threw a chair lacked the metal screening that other windows at Talbert House had; McGuffey said that’s because it was deemed inaccessible.
“I’ve been here 35 plus years and I have known of escapees like this that have happened from this facility here at the Justice Center and the Talbert House,” McGuffey said. “Those were some years passed and prior sheriffs. It is unusual, absolutely it is, but has happened before, yes it has.”
In June, Melissa Cordell was able to walk out of the Hamilton County Justice Center by mingling with inmates set to be released. She went unnoticed by deputies because she was in plain clothes in intake, McGuffey said.
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Weeks later a man named George Bridewell was able to escape the same way. Both Cordell and Bridewell were recaptured.
The Hamilton County Justice Center will be working to make changes, including adding new cameras, Plexiglas and new procedural changes. Now, the jail will only release up to five inmates at one time to avoid allowing inmates in intake to slip out with a crowd, McGuffey said.
Anyone with information on Thomas is asked to call the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office at 513-825-1500 or Crime Stoppers at 513-352-3040.