Escaped inmate prompts lockdown at schools in Wadena, Minnesota Tuesday
Ryan Petro, 34, escaped from the Wadena County Jail Monday. (Wadena County Jail / FOX 9)
WADENA, Minn. (FOX 9) - Schools in Wadena, Minnesota were on soft lockdown Tuesday due to an escaped inmate who is still at large in the area and is considered “dangerous.”
Ryan Petro, 34, escaped from custody during a transition to a court appearance Monday afternoon, the Wadena County Sheriff’s Office said.
Petro was booked into jail Sept. 28 for misdemeanor obstruction legal process, misdemeanor disorderly conduct, misdemeanor damage to property, misdemeanor fleeing on foot and felony first-degree burglary.
The sheriff’s office said Petro was wearing orange shirt and tan pants and was handcuffed at the time of his escape. He was last seen in the area of Colfax Avenue in Wadena.
Wadena-Deer Creek Public Schools placed the elementary school and the middle/high school on soft lockdowns for the entirety of the school day Tuesday and had a police presence at both schools “out of an abundance of caution.”
Authorities are warning people not to approach Petro if they see him and to call 911 immediately.