The second of two escapees from Piedmont Regional Jail in Farmville, Virginia, was recaptured Monday after he pleaded with a civilian for medical help.
Bruce Callahan approached a student on the Longwood University campus around three miles from the jail because he was in need of assistance, effectively giving up the flight.
The student proceeded to pull the fire alarm.
“Mr. Callahan approached a college student on Longwood University campus and she obviously felt a little concerned, ran over, pulled the fire alarm, and Farmville police showed up and placed him in custody,” U.S. Marshals Eastern District Chief Larry Moltzan told WRAL-TV.
The Prince Edward County Sheriff’s Office received the notice of a suspicious individual at the school’s Lancer Park at 5:35 a.m., and Mr. Callahan was first detained by a university police officer.
Mr. Callahan has since been turned over to the U.S. Marshals Service.
Mr. Callahan was injured and in poor health at the time of the arrest, and surrendered without incident, Longwood University explained in an alert.
“He was skinny as could be. Long hair, he was about almost half the size of the gurney, which was pretty crazy how thin he was,” student Daryl Thompson, who witnessed the arrest, recalled to WRIC-TV.
The school also explained that there was no indication that Mr. Callahan had been on campus in between his escape and the pulling of the fire alarm.
Mr. Callahan, who was awaiting trial on federal drug and weapons charges, had escaped Piedmont Regional Jail at about 11:30 p.m. on May 2, over 20 hours after fellow escapee and bunkmate Alder Marin-Sotelo scaled some fences and drove off in a getaway vehicle.
Mr. Marin-Sotelo, jailed while awaiting trial in the murder of a Wake County, North Carolina, sheriff’s deputy, was arrested in Mexico on Thursday.
As opposed to Mr. Marin-Sotelo, who managed to make all the way to Mexico’s Pacific coastline, Mr. Callahan had less of a plan, and had been subsisting off local river water.
Both men now face additional charges of escaping from custody.
• Brad Matthews can be reached at bmatthews@washingtontimes.com.
Please read our comment policy before commenting.