Inmate Escapes From Fairfield County Jail Annex

Sheriff’s deputies on Tuesday evening were looking for an inmate they said escaped from a holding area at the Fairfield County Jail on Monday night.

According to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, Jeramiah Searles was being held at the annex, located at 5955 Revenge Rd., near the Southeastern Correctional Institution in Lancaster.

Investigators said that they discovered that Searles, 31, was missing at about 11:30 p.m. Monday, 10TV’s Tanisha Mallett reported.

According to investigators, it was believed Searles scaled a fence with razor wire to escape. He used socks to protect himself from the wires, Mallett reported.

Searles was believed to be wearing a light blue jail outfit, though some clothing was found attached to the wire.

Searless also is missing one or more fingers on his right hand and has tattoos on his left hand, right arm and right shoulder, Mallett reported.

According to the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office, the annex used to be called Camp Reams. It houses 92 minimum security level type prisoners.

Officials said that Searles was being held on falsification charges and has a felony warrant for probation violation for Deviate Sexual Assault out of Missouri, Mallett reported.

“We had a dog out there, and our K-9 unit searched the area and didn’t find anything,” Chief Jerry Perrigo of the Fairfield County Sheriff’s Office said.

The search encroached upon a number of homes, and neighbors said that they were aware of what was going on but not worried.

“You know these guys who just over the wire are pretty desperate, and they want to get far away as quick as they can get, in my view,” neighbor Keith Hill said.

Sheriff’s deputies increased their search to Perry, Hocking, and Fairfield Counties. They are also searching in the city of Columbus and Logan.

“We will keep at it until we either get a good lead or good information where he is,” Perrigo said.

Searles now is facing a charge of felony escape.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 740-652-7911.

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