breaking news

A Limestone County Jail inmate who leapt from a moving patrol car Tuesday afternoon and fled down Jefferson Street in Athens later jumped into a car with a couple and their two small children and forced them to drive him to a friend’s home .

The inmate, 26-year-old Jose Fernandes, is believed to have fled Fort Hampton Road with his Hispanic friend — Eduardo Rodriguez — in a white Ford Explorer, Sheriff Mike Blakely said Tuesday evening.

Fernandes stands 5 feet, 5 inches tall, weighs 150 pounds and has had his brown hair cut short since his booking photo was taken, the sheriff said. He was last seen wearing a black-and-white-striped jumpsuit and a pair of bright orange handcuffs.

Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call 256-232-0111.

A handcuffed Fernandes made his escape at approximately 2:12 p.m. Tuesday.

“One of our reserve deputies was transporting Fernandes back to jail from an initial court appearance, when Fernandes managed to open the rear door of a patrol car and escape custody by jumping out onto the pavement from the moving car,” Blakely said. “He must have doubled back around because we had an Hispanic couple come up and they told us they had pulled in front of the Hispanic grocery across from L&S (another grocery on North Jefferson Street) with their two small children when Fernandes jumped in and told them to take him somewhere or he was going to hurt them.”

The couple showed sheriff’s officials where they drove Fernandes on Fort Hampton, and the sheriff believes the person who lives there, an acquaintance of Fernandes — Eduardo Rodriguez — took him elsewhere.

The two are believed to be riding in a white Ford Explorer driven by Rodriguez, the sheriff said.

“The neighbor saw the vehicle leave with two subjects about 15 minutes before we got there.” Blakely said. “All of our officers are out trying to find known associates of both of them.”

Frenandes escaped near the intersection of North Jefferson and Cherry streets, in an area heavily populated by Hispanic residents, the sheriff said.

By 2:22 p.m., deputies and police were going door to door in the area with a photograph of the inmate to see if anyone had seen him. Two APD units were checking the railroad tracks for the man about 3 p.m.

At one point, a dispatcher radioed Blakely to see if he needed to call Limestone Correctional Facility and request the use of its tracking dogs. The sheriff said there was too much traffic and too many people walking around for the dogs to do any good.

The sheriff’s office helicopter, along with county and city units, continued its search in north Athens Tuesday evening.

Before his escape, Fernandes was being held on a $25,000 cash bond on a charge of second-degree manufacturing a controlled substance – methamphetamine, following his arrest Saturday by Athens Police. He was also facing a hold from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

“He has already been deported once following an arrest in Decatur over a year ago, and illegally returned to the United States,” the sheriff said.