Escapee caught near Wind Creek

One of two inmates who escaped from the Loxley Work Release Center Monday morning was captured near Windcreek Casino and Hotel after he jumped from a moving car and fled on foot.

Damon Rashad Dinsmore, who was serving time on a burglary III conviction out of Franklin County, Ala., and a second inmate, Cantorius Alan White both left the work release center early Monday morning.

Escambia County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Mike Lambert said the two men checked into a hotel in Loxley. White was taken into custody there but Dinsmore was able to evade capture, steal a car and drive north on Interstate 65 to the Highway 21 exit near the casino.

Witnesses said Dinsmore crossed Highway 21 and jumped from the vehicle that continued until it crashed into a utility pole near the Chevron station.

Lambert said sheriff's deputies, Atmore police, Poach police and state troopers sent up a perimeter and the tracking dogs were called from the prison.

Dinsmore was tracked to the casino parking lot and witnesses told officers a person matching his description ran back across Highway 21 and into a cotton patch.

Lambert said the Atmore Police Department received a 911 call from a logging crew working off of Bell Fork Road saying they knew law enforcement was looking for someone and they saw a guy at their log landing site that fit his description.

The logging crew was able to give directions and talk deputies into the location where Dinsmore was taken into custody without incident. He was then transported to Fountain Correctional and is now facing a felony escape charge.

“This was a group effort involving multiple agencies as well as the public,” Lambert said. “I appreciate the public being understanding when we had to shut down roads for the K-9 units. Everybody obeyed the officers and were understanding.”