Two escaped inmates still on the run

Published 3:02 pm Monday, September 12, 2016

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The search continues for Michael Christian (left) and Derrick Washington Jr. (right), who escaped from the Dallas County Jail on Friday night. A third inmate, Jeremy Swann, was recaptured Saturday.

Two of the three inmates that escaped from the Dallas County Jail on Friday night are still on the run.

Captain Mike Granthum with the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department said authorities are still searching for Michael Christian, 46, and Derrick Washington Jr., 19. A third inmate that escaped, 31-year-old Jeremy Swann, was recaptured Saturday in Burnsville.

Other media outlets have reported that Christian has also been captured, but Granthum said that is not true.

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“We have been following up on some leads,” Granthum said. “We haven’t had any sightings of the other two, but we have some possible destinations they may be headed to.”

The U.S. Marshals have been brought in to aid in the search.

Granthum called the escape a “crime of opportunity.” A mixture was thrown into a guard’s face, and then he was overpowered and his keys were taken, Granthum said.

“There had to be some thought into that because … they actually had to make something,” Granthum said.

Granthum said is no sign anyone had knowledge of the escape beforehand. He said it’s possible someone is helping them, but he said both Washington and Christian are introverts and don’t have local connections, so neither are likely to have a lot of contacts.

“We do believe there is going to be some crimes committed because they have to have clothing, they have to have money, they have to have transportation some kind of way,” Granthum said.

Granthum said there haven’t been any stolen cars or burglaries in any jurisdiction near Dallas County. He said anyone that is helping the escapees would be charged with obstruction of government operations and hindering prosecution.

“You could be charged with a felony for assisting someone you know escaped,” Granthum said.

He also said it’s possible that Washington and Christian are still together. Granthum said those two allegedly ditched Swann because he couldn’t keep up.

“He couldn’t keep up with the other two, so they left him behind,” Granthum said.

Christian escaped from the county jail twice in late 2014 by climbing through the jail’s ceiling and dropping into unsecured areas. After the first escape, he had his trustee status revoked and was put on a higher security level. Christian is in the jail for rape, sodomy, burglary, theft and the additional two escape charges.

Swann was arrested in August 2014 along with his wife Amanda Swann and charged with the repeated rape of an underage female. He was also charged with escape first and assault second after being recaptured.

Washington was arrested in June 2015 and charged with attempted murder in the assault of a Selma man that was stomped in the head so severely his jaw had to be wired shut.

A cash reward up to $500 is being offered for information by Crime Stoppers. Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-866-44-Crime or the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department at 874-2530.