Timothy Shane was captured in Covington, a small city located outside of Atlanta, after law enforcement received notifications that he was "seen knocking on doors" in the area, according to the Rockdale County Sheriff's Office. Shane, 52, fled custody from the Grady Memorial Hospital in downtown Atlanta in the early hours of Dec. 1.
Shane had been transported to the hospital after an attempted suicide on the night of Nov. 30, the sheriff's office said. Following his escape, the sheriff's office launched an intensive search for Shane, who had a "history of fleeing" and was considered "armed and dangerous."
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Rockdale County Sheriff Eric Levett said during a news conference on Dec. 3 that he believes Shane had "staged" the suicide attempt. Two deputies were initially assigned to watch over Shane at the hospital, but during his escape, only one deputy was overseeing custody.
Levett noted that his agency was conducting internal and criminal investigations, including reviewing surveillance footage from the hospital. He said his office will also be reevaluating its policies and procedures.
A deputy has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the internal investigation, according to Levett. The deputies have not been identified, and the sheriff declined to share further details on how the inmate was able to flee from the hospital.
"This is just one incident where an inmate escaped. How they may have escaped, why they escaped, is under investigation, and we’re going to determine how and why," Levett said at the news conference.
Georgia fugitive stole 2 vehicles after escaping hospital
Levett said emergency medical services responded to a report of an attempted suicide at the Rockdale County Jail on Nov. 30. Emergency personnel and deputies transported Shane to Grady Memorial Hospital for medical examination.
At around 1:20 a.m. local time on Dec. 1, Shane escaped from the hospital and stole a vehicle that was parked near the area, according to the sheriff. He then crashed into another car and fled from the scene on foot.
"No one was chasing him at the time," Levett said. "When he crashed, he jumped out of the vehicle and ran on foot. When he left the hospital, he was only wearing a gown, no shoes, no socks."
The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office, along with the Atlanta Police Department and Fulton County Sheriff's Office, was dispatched to the scene and established a perimeter to locate Shane. Levett said officers from the Atlanta Police Department interviewed the owner of the stolen vehicle and discovered that a handgun was missing from the car.
Officers later received a report that another vehicle — a silver Pontiac Grand Prix — was stolen near the Mercedes-Benz Stadium, just over a mile from the hospital, according to Levett. Hours later, at around 8:10 a.m. local time, the vehicle was located at a Publix supermarket on Highway 155 in Henry County, south of Atlanta.
Deputies were sent to the area to investigate and recover the stolen vehicle, according to the sheriff's office. The investigation led to the discovery of the stolen vehicle at the Publix supermarket.
"We learned that inmate Shane had a conversation with an individual in that parking lot. We was able to identify that individual, who had no connections to inmate Shane, and the vehicle that he was driving was abandoned, which was recovered," Levett said.
Inmate used ride-hailing services to flee from law enforcement
After reviewing surveillance footage from the Publix supermarket, Levett said Shane was spotted being picked up by an Uber driver with a black SUV. Officers tracked Shane to a residence in Rockdale County and executed a search warrant.
Officers found several people at the residence, but Shane was not there, according to Levett. Authorities then learned that Shane had traveled to nearby Newton County and was seen at a Dunkin' Donuts store.
USA TODAY"He had contacted, somehow, a ride share who picked him up and dropped him off" in a neighborhood in Covington, Levett said. Local police received tips that there was a "white male knocking on doors in that area," the sheriff added.
Officers responded to the area and deployed police dogs and a Georgia State Patrol helicopter to find Shane, according to Levett. Authorities later received a report of a man knocking on a basement door in another area, and officers discovered Shane at an abandoned residence.
Shane was taken into custody and transported to the Rockdale County Jail, Levett said.
No cell phone was discovered at the time of arrest
When Shane was taken into custody, Levett said he did not have a cell phone, and investigators have not located a phone as of Dec. 3. It was unclear how Shane was able to order ride-hailing services without a phone.
The Rockdale County Sheriff's Office previously reported that Shane had a "history of fleeing, along with felony drug and weapon charges."
Levett said at the Dec. 3 news conference that Shane also had a history of stealing vehicles, "which was a huge concern of ours once we learned that he had escaped from the hospital." At the time of his escape, the sheriff said Shane was undergoing testing and was not in the detention wing of the hospital.
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