Escaped Inmate Caught At Manatee Motel
James Russell was serving a 3 1/2-year prison sentence for manufacturing heroin and trafficking in stolen property.
James R. Russell, a minimum security inmate who recently escaped from prison, has been recaptured in Manatee County, authorities said Tuesday. Russell was arrested Tuesday night without incident outside the Paradise Bay Hotel, 4406 102nd St. W. in Cortez, after the Manatee County Sheriff's Office received a tip he might be staying there, according to a news release. The Florida Department of Corrections said Russell, 35, stole a prison van and escaped Dec. 17 from the Central Florida Reception Center while under minimum custody. Authorities issued an alert last week advising that Russell might be hiding in the Manatee area. Russell is charged with escape and grand theft auto. The van had not been recovered at the time he was arrested. …
