The Graham County Sheriff’s Office assisted in the search for a suspect trying to get contraband into the prison on Friday. The initial call came in at approximately 6:00 am and was for an escaped inmate, but after a head count all inmates were accounted for.
A suspect, wearing a blue hoodie and a ski mask, was seen outside the fenced perimeter, holding a grocery bag. When spotted, the suspect ran east from the prison. Department of Corrections personnel were joined by deputies from the Graham County Sheriff’s office and Department of Public Safety (DPS) officers to search for the suspect.
A silver Jeep Grand Cherokee was seen leaving the area during the search. A DPS unit followed the car all the way to the Thing on I-10 before letting it go. The trooper said he did not believe he had enough reason to stop the vehicle. The trooper got the license number of the vehicle. The vehicle was registered to a woman and a man. The man on the registration is listed as an inmate at Fort Grant.
Officers searched the area on foot, in vehicles and a DPS helicopter patrolled the area by air, but the suspect was not located. The search was called off after approximately seven hours.
A box was found near the prison containing prison contraband, including approximately one pound of meth, three pounds of tobacco, a large amount of heroin, 150 fentanyl pills, six syringes and five cell phones.
