Prison escapee Timothy Eads is back in jail today after a two-day search that involved over a hundred city, county and state police officers, K-9 units and a police search helicopter.
Eads, who escaped from the Albemarle-Charlottesville Joint Security Complex on Wednesday afternoon, was recaptured on Thursday at approximately 8:30 p.m. Eads faces a lifetime prison sentence after he pleaded guilty in June to 21 charges related to a break-in and the rape of an Albemarle County woman.
Two county residents spotted Eads in the vicinity of Avon Street and Garrett Square on Thursday evening. The two chased Eads, who was still in his prison jumpsuit, and cornered him under a truck, Albemarle County community relations manager Lee Catlin said.
While Eads was cornered, the two residents called local police. K-9 Officer Andrew Gluba along with other officers arrived on the scene and after Eads did not come out when instructed, Gluba sent his dog, Bingo, to pull out the escapee.
Bingo was able to forcibly drag Eads from under the truck, inflicting bite wounds on Ead's face and legs. After he was taken into custody, Eads was treated at the University Medical Center for his injuries.
"Not knowing whether Eads was armed or not, this was an appropriate use of the K-9 unit," Catlin said.
Eads was under the supervision of two Security Complex guards at the time of his escape. However, Albemarle Police officials said Eads's girlfriend, Safia Rawoot, a recent University graduate from New Market, Va., may have given him a key so he could free himself from some of his restraints. Eads still was partially restrained when he managed to get away from his guards.
Rawoot was arrested early Thursday morning by county detectives on a felony charge of aiding the escape of a prisoner. An additional charge of conspiracy has been charged against Rawoot.
Col. Robert L. Beatty, the deputy superintendent at the prison, said this incident was the first escape he has seen in his six years at the Security Complex. Police officials said the Security Complex is conducting an investigation into the escape and arrests are anticipated.
The search for Eads involved several police agencies from around the area. Officers from the Security Complex, Albemarle Police, Virginia State Police and Charlottesville Police all contributed to the search efforts. University police also lent a hand, checking out a reported sighting of Eads on Brandon Street.
"This was an example of how you want things to happen in this type of scenario," Catlin said. "All the agencies worked very well together in this situation and it is quite a credit to all parties involved"
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