Three arrested for aiding escape of Illinois inmates

Carly Schmittler was one of three people arrested Monday and charged with aiding in the escape of three Illinois inmates. Her bail was set at $7,500. Photo courtesy White County Jail

June 19 (UPI) — Three people were arrested and charged with aiding the escape of three inmates in Illinois on Monday, as a manhunt for two of the inmates continued.

Wendi Owen, 46, of Grayville; Carly Schmittler, 28, of Grayville; and Elijah Locher, 32, of Crossville, were arrested in connection with the escape of Zachery Shock, Johnny Tipton and Justin Bray.

All three suspects were charged with aiding the escape of the three inmates. Bail for Owen was set at $25,000, bail for Schmittler was set at $7,500 and no bail was set for Locher.

Witnesses near Illinois Route 1 reported seeing two men matching the descriptions of Shock, 24, and Tipton, 61, walking north along the roadway at about 8:30 p.m. Sunday.

White County Sheriff’s Department officials were told the men left the road and ran into the nearby woods between Norris City and Omaha.

Authorities conducted a search in the area, deploying a drone and two K-9 dogs from the Illinois State Police.

The two inmates remained at large Monday after Bray was found in an oil tank field and transported back to the jail on Saturday night.

The three men escaped from the White County jail at around 3 a.m. Saturday after White County Sheriff Doug Maier said that a pipe was used to break a hole in the outside concrete block and brick wall.

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