Inmate found in swamp after escaping St. Louis County facility
St. Louis County Sheriff's Office
A 48-year-old man who escaped from the Northeast Regional Corrections Center was found in a swamp late Sunday.
Jesse James Crabtree, of Hibbing, walked away from the minimum security facility in Saginaw, in St. Louis County, at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday.
St. Louis County deputies, officers with the Hermantown Police Department and others responded to search for Crabtree using a drone and K9.
Officials believed he had contacted someone to pick him up prior to him fleeing the facility, a news release says. Residents in the area were alerted that he had escaped.
A K9 named Donny and a drone team tracked Crabtree down and found him in a swamp after a property owner who lives in Industrial Township called police to report a suspicious person on their property, the release says.
Crabtree was arrested around 10:15 p.m. and booked into the St. Louis County Jail, where he awaits formal charges.
No other details about the incident have been released.
Note: The details provided in this story are based on the police’s latest version of events, and may be subject to change.
