The man who escaped from the Henderson County Detention Center in January has been apprehended in Kenton County.
Jailer Bruce Todd said he received a call from the U.S. Marshals Service Thursday morning informing him that Tylee Thompson, 33, had been caught in Covington.
A U.S. Marshals Service news release said Thompson was apprehended in the 1400 block of Scott Street in Covington after being located inside a crawl space.
He was lodged in the Kenton County Detention Center. According to the KCDC website, Thompson’s bond has been set at $50,000.
Henderson County Sheriff’s Office had warrants out on Thompson for escape and assault on a law enforcement officer, said the release. Thompson also had an active arrest warrant from the Hamilton County Common Pleas Court in Ohio for felonious assault, heroin trafficking, heroin possession and aggravated trafficking in drugs.
Todd said it was a relief that Thompson had been caught. Although Thompson was previously classified as a “not a threat” because of his minor offenses, there was no guarantee he wouldn’t do something more grave after his escape, Todd said.
When he escaped in January, Thompson was around 30 days from being paroled, Todd said.
The jailer said he was waiting for notification from U.S. Marshals that paperwork had been signed for Thompson’s extradition.
“He will come back to Henderson as soon as we get the paperwork,” Todd said. “We’ll go back to get him.”
In a previous interview, Todd said Thompson was classified in the local jail as a trustee in the state’s Substance Abuse Program. SAP provides drug counseling for some inmates who have been arrested on felony drug and/or alcohol charges, a Kentucky Department of Corrections website said.
Thompson, as a trustee, had worked his up and gained trust among the jail staff, allowing him more responsibilities within the jail, Todd said.
He was taking out the trash as part of his duties the night he escaped on Jan. 26. At about 9:15 p.m., accompanied by a sergeant and another inmate, they had emptied their tubs into the Dumpster and were pushing the wheeled tubs back to the jail when Thompson pushed his into the sergeant, pinning her against the wall, Todd said.
Then Thompson ran away into the direction of the cemetery across the street from the jail on Borax Drive, Todd said.
The jailer said Thompson could possibly get five years for the escape charge. He may also receive federal charges, he said.
