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Work detail escapee not on the loose for long
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William Sharpe

An escaped state prisoner was taken into custody Monday afternoon by the Effingham County Sheriff’s Office after he escaped a work detail and broke into a residence in Meldrim.

Shortly after 1 p.m. Monday, deputies were dispatched to a residence on Central Avenue on a report of a prisoner who jumped out of a window of the residence. The homeowner arrived at her residence and saw the prisoner jumping out her window and fleeing the area. She told deputies she confronted him, but he ran into a wooded area.

Deputies were on the scene within minutes and secured a perimeter. A K-9 tracked the escapee from the residence to an area near a baseball field where state prison inmates were on a work detail. The Effingham County Sheriff’s Office became aware of the incident after the homeowner called 911.

The victim identified the suspect, William Sharpe 27, of Baxley. Sharpe was taken into custody and charged with escape and burglary. Additional charges are pending.

Sharpe is currently serving a prison sentence for possession of cocaine and burglary.