Inmate who escaped Franklin County jail in custody, investigation ongoing
For the first time in 24 years, an inmate escaped from the Franklin County jail.
Sheriff Dallas Baldwin says “there is no excuse for it.” An internal investigation is underway into how it happened, he said, and extensive video footage available from cameras all over the facility was being reviewed.
In the meantime, here is what we know:
The escaped inmate, 20-year-old Jacob Benajmin Loper, had been held at the Jackson Pike lockup on several felony drug charges since Monday.
On Wednesday, he was to be picked up by the U.S. Marshal’s office and taken to West Virginia. Because of construction work in the jail’s normal release area, Loper was in a general booking area with other inmates who were awaiting release because they completed their sentences or had posted bond and were being released pending trial.
Loper had changed from his jail uniform into street clothes in anticipation of being released into federal custody, which is normal procedure in a custody transfer. But when a group of other inmates was being released as scheduled around 9 a.m., Loper apparently blended in with them and walked out of the jail.
Loper got into a waiting vehicle, which dropped him off at Broad Street and Burgess Avenue in Columbus’ Hilltop neighborhood. Authorities located the vehicle and the female driver, who told them where she dropped him off, but it has not been revealed whether she knew Loper, she was an Uber or Lyft driver who was waiting for Loper or someone else, or whether she even knew he was an escaped inmate.
Loper was taken into custody around 4 a.m. Thursday. Sheriff ’s office spokeswoman Maureen Kocot said deputies were able to get in contact with Loper, who then turned himself in to the sheriff ’s office.
The investigation into how Loper was able to walk out and get away is continuing. No suspensions or other disciplinary action had been taken as of Thursday morning.