Inmate ties to escape but ends up in doghouse

Inmate ties to escape but ends up in doghouse

WARNER ROBINS, Ga. - A Dooly State Prison inmate who slipped away from a work detail near a park here ended up in the doghouse. Literally.

Marcus Antonio Valdez, 22, serving a two-year sentence for aggravated assault, was found hiding in a doghouse in the back yard of a nearby residence, police Lt. Todd Edwards said.

The fugitive's flight for freedom was cut short after law enforcement officers from several agencies converged on the residential neighborhood, Edwards said.

Authorities arrested him Wednesday afternoon with the help of a police tracking dog and tips from residents, Edwards said.

Valdez, a medium-security inmate, walked off the trash detail about 12:30 p.m., authorities said. Authorities learned of the escape when witness called 911 to report "somebody dressed in a white prison uniform walking down the road," Edwards said.

"That got our attention," the lieutenant said.