According to the sheriff's office, Christopher Lee Clark, who was being held on theft charges, escaped Thursday shortly before 3 p.m.

Clark, 19, apparently caused his cell doors to malfunction and ran out of the jail through a side door.  He then threw his jail shirt into a Dumpster beside the courthouse, deputies said.

A short time later, witnesses reported seeing Clark run through the streets.

"He was just running with no shirt on and his orange jumpsuit pants," said Karlie Bragg.  "It was crazy."

Other prisoners in the jail alerted the dispatcher to the escape.

At the same time, officers said that a McConnelsville resident saw a man running through an alley toward Liberty Street, and then crossed the street and ran toward the river.

Officers were called to the scene and additional units were requested from the Washington County Sheriff's Office, including a tracking dog, a helicopter and several officers.

Police said that they tracked Clark through McConnelsville and into Malta, Ohio, where the trail was lost in the middle of a village street.

Clark is 6 feet tall and weighs 155 pounds.  He has very short brown hair and blue eyes, police said.

Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to contact police.

Stay with 10TV News and 10TV.com for additional information.

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October 16, 2009: Accused Thief Escapes From Jail

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