Lawmen captured an Amite County jail escapee who had been on the run since Oct. 15 when they found him near the Dollar General on Highway 98 East after a footchase with sheriff’s deputies.
Michael Wayne Young, 42, 5154-A Fenn Road, Smithdale, was caught at 2:04 a.m. today after Pike County sheriff’s deputies responded to an alarm call at the store.
Chief investigator Greg Martin said Young was spotted earlier in the day by a caller on Highway 98. He said Young’s trail grew cold when deputies went to check out the tip.
While investigating the scene, Martin said deputies heard movement in the woods near the store and found Young lying on the ground.
He said deputies Joseph Edmonds and Cody Crawford chased Young 50 yards before apprehending him.
Martin said Young, who was wearing a camouflage long sleeve shirt, pants and boots, had an assortment of tools, face mask, backpack and a stolen loud speaker in his possession when he was caught.
“He was dressed for the outside environment,” Martin said.
He said Young was apparently trying to break into the store and damaged a metal door in the process.
Authorities said Young escaped from the Amite County Jail’s exercise yard after he and three other inmates — Dalton Rollins, Nathan Lofton and Richard Sikes Jr. — unraveled wire at the bottom of the fence and pulled it back. Lofton acted as a distraction and walked around the jail and returned to the jail as Young made his escape.
Lawmen initially tracked Young to an area near Amite County High School but lost his trail.
Two days later, a man matching his description surfaced near the East Fork community, sparking a manhunt, before other reports of the escapee popped up in the Thompson community.
Young was being held in the Amite County Jail after being sentenced in September to five years after pleading guilty to possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and to an escape charge stemming from an August incident in which he walked off of a work detail in Franklin County.
Amite County Sheriff Tim Wroten said received the call that Young had been captured around 2 a.m. today.
“He will be transported to Central Mississippi Correctional Facility. He is charged with escape, aiding in escape and conspiracy,” he said.
Wroten said authorities have been following leads since Young escaped.
“They haven’t all panned out,” he said.
Wroten and Martin both said they intend to charge anyone who may have helped Young in his escape.
He is being held at the Pike County jail, where he will be interviewed this morning and then transported to Pearl.
“We’re glad he’s back in custody and we’ll let the courts handle it,” Wroten said.
