Local authorities search for a pair of escaped West Central inmates, Joshua K. Hammond and Cody A. Ray, outside the facility Saturday afternoon. A Columbus Police Department helicopter assisted with the search.
(Journal-Tribune photo by Will Channell)
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Authorities are looking for a pair of West Central Correctional Facility inmates who fled through an open door before climbing a 12-foot fence to escape Saturday.
“We started taking residents in October of 1999, and this is the first time we’ve had residents do this,” said West Central Executive Director David Erwin.
According to a release from the Union County Sheriff’s Office, inmates Joshua K. Hammond, 28, of Columbus, and Cody A. Ray, 27, of West Mansfield, escaped at 2:43 p.m. Saturday. They were last seen running into a cornfield north of the facility.
Hammond is a 140-pound Hispanic man with brown hair and brown eyes, and was in West Central due to a probation violation for an original charge of drug possession. Ray is a 160-pound white man with brown hair and hazel eyes and was in West Central for a probation violation for an original charge of grand theft.
Hammond had been incarcerated since August, while Ray came in early September.
Erwin said a staff member opened a door to allow another inmate in from outside.
“When the door opened, they took off,” Erwin said.
He said it baffles him that an inmate would opt to try to escape rather than serve out their time at the facility. His building is not allowed to keep a resident for more than six months at a time.
Hammond and Ray specifically had not caused significant trouble at the facility.
“You scratch your head and say, ‘why?’” he said.
Hammond and Ray scaled a chain link fence and went north into a field.
According to the release, deputies responded on the scene and began an immediate search of the area. Units from the Ohio State Highway Patrol, Marysville Police Department and the Plain City K9 unit also assisted.
Local authorities also received help from a Columbus Police Department helicopter.
Units were on the scene until about 5 p.m. Union County Sheriff Jamie Patton said authorities had a “pretty good perimeter set,” and checked various buildings and properties in the area.
According to Patton, the K9 from Plain City found a scent, but couldn’t keep it.
“The K9 did have a track that once they tracked it to a roadway, they lost the track,” Patton said. “At that point, we didn’t have any indication of where they went.”
With the pair still on the run, Patton said authorities have begun reaching out to those close to the pair.
“At this point, it’s just a matter of follow up with family (and) friends,” Patton said.
Erwin said an investigation has already begun within the facility. He said his staff is “looking into details” of the situation.
“At this point, there’s nothing that jumps out at me as a problem,” Erwin said.
Authorities advice citizens not to approach the pair and to call 911, or the Union County Sheriff’s Office at 937-645-4110. Warrants have been issued for both men.
Patton said he’s optimistic that the two will be caught, since the public knows what they look like.
“We just ask for assistance from the public,” Patton said.