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For Immediate Release: September 8, 2005
Contact: Perrin Damon, Oregon Department of Corrections, 503-945-0925
Ron Noble, Covallis Police Department, 541-766-6735
Inmate Walkaway Quickly Captured
An inmate from Santiam Correctional Institution in Salem this morning walked away from his minimum-custody work crew working in Corvallis. He was captured by an Oregon State Police lieutenant at 12:33 p.m.
An alert citizen notified Corvallis Police that he had spotted an inmate near 35th Street and Philomath Boulevard. The Corvallis Police and Benton County Sheriff’s deputies immediately responded. The inmate in the meantime allegedly stole an Oregon State University pickup truck and subsequently abandoned it.
Law enforcement officials set up a perimeter to confine the inmate. He was then spotted by an OSU employee near the OSU sheep barns trying to steal an ATV. That employee assisted the police in locating the inmate who was hiding in some bushes. After a short chase, he was taken into custody by OSP Lt. Phil Zerzan.
Inmate Joshua Stetzer, 25, is serving time from Multnomah County for burglary, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, and eluding police. He was admitted to prison in May with a projected release date in September 2006.
Ten inmates comprised the work crew which was assigned to perform landscaping duties near the Corvallis ODOT office on Highway 34. They were supervised by an ODOT employee and a correctional officer.
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