Inmate who carved his way out of jail found at a family business, Texas sheriff says
A Texas inmate who carved his way out of jail Thursday has been found at a family business, authorities say.
Jace Martin Laws was back in custody Friday morning after escaping the Gregg County jail, according to a news release.
A sheriff’s office spokesman said Laws was found at Laws Collision Repair in neighboring Smith County, the Longview News-Journal reported. The business is owned by Laws’ father and stepmother, the newspaper reported.
Laws, 34, carved through brick in the jail and escaped through the county courthouse, according to the sheriff’s office.
Laws was sentenced to serve 70 years after being charged on two counts of assault of a police officer.
He was booked in September 2018 for possession of marijuana and released the next day. The following week, Laws was arrested by the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office for marijuana possession, burglary of a vehicle, burglary of a building, evading arrest and assaulting a Longview police officer, per jail records.
This story was originally published December 26, 2019 at 7:53 PM with the headline "Inmate who carved his way out of jail found at a family business, Texas sheriff says."