From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
A man who escaped from the Coosa County Jail Sunday is still on the loose, according to a release from the Coosa County Sheriff’s Office.
Shane Anthony Vernon, 27, escaped from the jail Sunday around 2:30 p.m.
He is described as 5’7″ tall and 130 pounds. He has a tattoo on his right fist that says “ride or die,” writing on his right forearm, a Chinese symbol on the right side of his neck and the word “County” on his right shoulder blade.
Vernon is considered armed and dangerous.
He was let out of his cell to use the inmate telephone system during which time he discovered a door in his area had not been secured properly.
Vernon went through the door and gained access to the maintenance area in the ceiling of the jail, which he used to bypass the remaining four security doors and flee the complex.
After escaping Vernon broke into a home on Hwy. 231 in Rockford, where he tied up the residents, robbed them and fled in their 2016 Ford Fusion.
Vernon abandoned the vehicle near a church just south of the Coosa County/Elmore County line. He then fled into the woods on foot.
A search party comprised of multiple law enforcement agencies discovered Vernon stolen a small red mini bike from an area residence and continued to avoid capture.
The search has now been turned over to the U.S. Marshals for a nationwide search. Felony warrants for first-degree Unlawful Imprisonment, first-degree Robbery, first-degree Theft of Motor Vehicle, and second-degree Escape have been obtained.
Anyone with information on the whereabouts of the escapee is asked to contact the Coosa County Sheriff’s Office in Rockford at 256-377-2211 or your local law enforcement agency.