Man caught in Sumter County after escaping Dallas County Jail, stealing truck

Published 2:29 pm Monday, December 1, 2014

A Selma man that escaped Friday from the Dallas County Jail has been placed behind bars once again.

The suspect, Michael Christian, was serving work detail with fellow inmates, tending to the jail’s ceiling tiles when he allegedly climbed through the ceiling and escaped, according to authorities.

Christian was in jail awaiting trial on charges of first-degree rape, first-degree sodomy and first-degree burglary from 2013. He now faces additional charges of second-degree escape and first-degree theft of property.

CHRISTIAN

CHRISTIAN

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“The guard noticed that he had one inmate missing,” said Sgt. Mike Granthum, an investigator with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office. “He looked up and noticed that a section of the ceiling had been broken away. The inmate had gotten up in the ceiling and managed to go the lobby part where the visitors come in.”

Christian allegedly dropped down into the lobby, which is not a secure area. A guard saw the suspect, but Christian ran out the door and into the woods near the jail before he could be caught.

With the help of the Selma Police Department, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department searched for Christian. They issued a “Be on the Lookout” alert to all authorities as well.

The search continued for two to three hours before the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department received a call from one of the suspect’s family members, reporting that Christian arrived at his father’s home on Dallas County Road 30 in Sardis in a red truck, according to Granthum.

Officials then received a call from residents reporting a stolen truck from River Road.

“When he escaped, he went to 140, stole a vehicle and went to his father’s house,” Granthum said. “They told him that he couldn’t stay there. He went there looking for money.”

The family allegedly denied Christian money, and an altercation ensued in which Christian drove toward his father in the stolen truck. His father told authorities that he used a pistol to fire shots at the truck.

By the time authorities arrived at the scene, Christian had already left and was headed west, Granthum said.

“We notified authorities on the west part of the state, and they found the vehicle on the side of the road,” Granthum said. “There was a mechanical malfunction or it ran out of gas or something, so they had to do a manhunt.”

The Sumter County Sheriff’s Office and Cuba Police Department located Christian on Saturday after an official noticed him walking out of the wooded area next to a rest stop not far from where the truck was abandoned. He was arrested and taken back to the Dallas County Jail.

Granthum said it was Christian’s familiarity with working detail that helped him escape. Christian knew where the security cameras were and went in an area where there were no cameras, Granthum said.

Authorities are still investigating exactly how he broke through the ceiling, which often has steel bars and concrete placed above it.

Granthum said the Dallas County Jail has contractors working to see how much it will cost to repair the damages.

“We’re actually looking at the structure itself and seeing what kind of damage he caused to do it,” Granthum said. “While that area is under construction or being repaired, that area has been stripped off. You can’t even get to that part of the jail right now, so inmates don’t have access to that part.”

Granthum said it’s rare and unfortunate when an inmate escapes, and he is grateful that other law enforcement agencies for their help.

“It’s good to know that we have one of the bad guys behind bars, but what makes you feel better is the coordination that it takes to do this in a way that different agencies can work together,” Granthum said. “No matter what differences that counties and cities may have, once something happens, everybody comes together for one common goal. And that’s to put the suspect behind bars, where he belongs.”