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‘Armed, dangerous' jail escapee thought to be in metro Atlanta captured

DOUGLAS COUNTY, Ga. — UPDATE: Coosa County sheriff's officials said the man has been captured in DeKalb County.

Channel 2 Action News has learned that an armed man who authorities said escaped an Alabama jail may now be in metro Atlanta.

Shane Anthony Vernon escaped the Coosa County Jail Sunday, local authorities said.

On Tuesday, U.S. Marshals told Channel 2 Investigative Reporter Nicole Carr that Vernon kidnapped a man from Alabama and dropped him and the car off in Douglasville. Vernon was nowhere to be found.


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Vernon is considered armed and dangerous.

Coosa County Sheriff Terry Wilson explained the timeline to Carr Tuesday afternoon.

He told Carr on Oct. 30, Vernon got out of handcuffs during booking for another home invasion.

"He pulled out his restraints and ran out the jail," Wilson told Carr by phone.

Out of the jail and into the woods we're told he went. He was captured almost immediately. But on Sunday, things changed.

"He was allowed to use one of the inmate telephones in the jail. And a corrections officer did not properly secure the door," Wilson explained.

It was an officer's actions that led to a second escape and now an internal investigation.

"He was able to climb through the ceiling and go over four other secured doors to get to the other side and went out the door again."

A map takes on Vernon's crime spree after his jail ceiling escape. There were residents tied up and robbed on Sunday. On Monday, a family including a 2-year-old child, were tied up as Vernon continued to steal cars, guns and a bike. Finally on Monday night, as he tried to hide a stolen van, he forced an Elmore County man into a car and drove him to metro Atlanta.

That's where the man somehow escaped Vernon Tuesday morning and made it to the Douglasville Police Department while Vernon took off to parts unknown.

"It's a tragedy all the way around. I just hope that we can get him picked up before he hurts somebody," Wilson said.

The sheriff said they'll be processing the stolen car and have a better idea of how this happened by tomorrow morning.