Escaped Georgia inmate arrested in South Carolina

LAMAR COUNTY, Ga. - His escape from the Lamar County Detention Center was described as “Houdini-like".

But now 37-year-old Christopher Nicholas Carroll run from police is over.

Lamar County Sheriff Brad White told FOX 5 News that Carroll was arrested Saturday afternoon in North Augusta, South Carolina.

He said Carroll ran from the cops, but they managed to track him down. 

Earlier this week, White showed FOX 5 News where the getaway got underway around midnight on Wednesday.

“This is the cell,” he said as he opened the door to the jail cell from where Carroll escaped.

He said Carroll pulled the showerhead off then shimmied through the crawl space.

He emerged in a utility room which made it possible for him to access another crawl space.

The sheriff said Carroll entered that crawl space and lifted himself up to break away several bricks from the wall.

This creates a hole about 22 inches wide which Carroll slithered through.

“To get through what he got through I mean it would be Houdini like, Houdini with some luck,” said Sheriff White.

He said Carroll used a piece of table from the cell to break out the bricks. That allowed him to leave through a side door of the detention center.

From there, Sheriff White said Carroll fled down a pathway then scaled the barbed wire fence or shimmied through a small opening in it.

“We actually believe he climbed to the top of that now to get out,” said Sheriff White.

He said Carroll next ended up at Jordan Forest Products several miles away from where he was seen on surveillance video.

Sheriff White said Carroll drove around the yard in a big truck but didn’t steal it.

Instead, the Sheriff said Carroll stole a truck from the Lamar County yard next door. He said Carroll crashed through the gate and fled to South Carolina where he ditched the stolen truck.

On Friday morning, the Sheriff received a call from South Carolina authorities about Carroll’s next move.

“This morning we got a phone call. They believe he stole a vehicle in Bamberg South Carolina,” said Sheriff White.

The sheriff said Carroll previously escaped from two other jails in South Carolina.

He said the surveillance camera in the rear of the detention center was not working when Carroll got away, adding more are on the way.

“We’re looking to add about nine cameras out here. We currently don’t have that,” said Sheriff White.

He said Carroll was arrested in Lamar County in October when he was stopped with a woman in a stolen vehicle.

He said Carroll had pleaded guilty to charges and was supposed to be transferred to prison on Thursday.