Prisoners in Arizona who escaped on January 23 were caught
The two refugees were found in the town of Coolidge.
COOLIDGE, Ariz. – Two prisoners who escapes from prison in Florence was captured and arrested by Coolidge police.
Coolidge police say John Charpiot and David Harmon were arrested on January 28 after receiving several calls from residents reporting that they had seen the couple.
On the afternoon of January 28, authorities released a video camera video related to the arrest of the two escapees. In the video, the officer and deputy officers were closing in on refugees, who did not listen to orders. Eventually, authorities used tasers on the two.
Harmon was seen in the video trying to take the taser points off his person before he was packed on the ground.
Officials at the U.S. Marshals say at one point both refugees asked to be shot dead.
“At one point, they both said ‘just shoot me,'” David Gonzales said. “They both asked the Coolidge PD officers and the deputy officers to kill them.”
Authorities say they have searched more than 800 homes since the two escaped, and they have found 110 hours of investigation into the two.
“110 hours people. It really says a lot about the efforts made to catch these two individuals,” said Bruce Walls, Florence police chief.
“Everyone gave up what they had to do and they went to deal with it to catch these guys,” Commander Mark Tercero told the Coolidge Police Department.
Man tells the search for refugees
Man tells how he escaped from prison in Arizona
Joe Marquez was driving south of Coolidge when he spotted two people fleeing after escaping from a jail in Florence on January 23.
The dramatic recording of the Charpiot and Harmon on January 28 began with a man who spotted the two and called police.
It started as a typical Thursday for Joe Marquez. He was driving south of Coolidge to examine some broken gates when he looked to the left and his eyes could not believe it.
“My adrenaline was racing. My heart was pounding,” Marquez said.
Marquez tracked down the two men for a few minutes and even recorded a video from his phone. Both men were seen wearing brown pants, covered in mud. The man runs and the other becomes steamless.
“He’s bent,” Marquez says. “The other man waves to go on without him.”
When Marquez realized who they were and what was happening, he called 911. Then he had to convince the operator that he was right.
‘They said’ are you sure it’s them? ‘, Marquez said. ‘I said’ yes of course. Who else would it be? ‘
Authorities arrived within ten minutes to apprehend the refugees before leaving again. Marquez says he’s glad he played a small but important role in catching them.
Marquez says he is also well aware of the reward money: $ 70,000 that could soon be his.
“Oh yes, it will be nice. We’ll see what happens. I’m just glad they were caught,” Marquez said. He says if he gets the reward, he would use it to pay some bills, help his mother and probably take a cool trip somewhere.
Charpiot, Harmon escaped on January 23
According to authorities, Charpiot and Harmon broke into a tool shed by knocking down an air-conditioning unit and breaking through a wall. The two prisoners were able to obtain a bolt cutter, wire cutters and other objects and used it to cut down a fence.
“The preliminary investigation revealed that the inmates violated the institution’s fence by using used tools from the tool room,” Frank Strada told the Arizona Department of Corrections, Rehabilitation & Reentry.
Charpiot has been serving a 35-year sentence on charges of child abuse and sexual abuse since 2011, officials said.
Harmon has served a 100-year sentence on kidnapping and second-degree charges. He has been in jail since 2012.
Bodycam video showing the moment two prison fugitives were captured
The fugitives, identified as John Charpiot and David Harmon, have been on the run since January 23, when authorities said they broke into a tool shed in a prison in Florence, stole various tools and used them to fence. cap.
Raw video: escapees in prison in Florence re-arrested
The two suspects, John Charpiot and David Harmon, have been on the run since Jan. 23. They were arrested on January 28 in Coolidge.
Prisoners escaped from Florence prison caught
John Charpiot and David Harmon had been on the run from the Arizona authorities for several days before being captured on January 28 in Coolidge.
The officials took into account the 16:00 count on Saturday, but according to officials, they did not appear for the count at 20:30.
According to tweets made on January 26 by officials at the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS), the two tried to rob a business in Florence on January 23. Both refugees were seen on a security camera at the establishment.
“Both men have ongoing medical problems and may try to visit drug stores or pharmacies,” reads a section of the article tweet.
Authorities searching for the detainees conducted house-to-door searches in homes near the Florence prison.
Capture response
The director of Arizona’s Department of Public Safety, Col. Heston Silbert, says although the two were caught, the real work is just beginning.
“One of them is a rapist of a house invasion, while the other is a molester of children aged seven to four,” said Col. Silbert said. “It was bad people who wanted to take us off the street. We’re still worried, even though they were caught, and the concern is that we have to find out where they have been the last few days.”
Prison officials from which the two escaped say no employees were fired or suspended because of the incident, and an investigation into how the two escaped is underway.
Arizona State Sen. TJ Shope, representing parts of Pinal County, issued a statement thanking law enforcement and the three bystanders who reported them to police.
The captured two refugees and was arrested this morning by Coolidge police and the U.S. Marshall Office. Today I want to thank the men and women in law enforcement who have been working around the clock since the weekend in pursuit of the escaped. They have once again demonstrated the importance of public safety in our community, and we are all grateful that their hard work in this endeavor has led to these concerns.
Shope said one of the witnesses reported that two men broke into her home. A second witness led officers to the detainees, while a third followed them on foot while reporting an observation to police.
“It was truly a community-wide effort with a safe and successful ending,” Shope said.
“The city of Florence is smiling tonight,” said Bruce Walls, Florence police chief. “We had two individuals who stepped through our city and because of the efforts of all these individuals you see behind me, they are now behind bars again.”
John Charpiot and David Harmon (Coolidge Police Station)
The prisoners are waiting for transport to the Department of Corrections. Prison officials say an internal investigation is underway to determine how the inmates escaped.
Coolidge is 14 miles southwest of Florence.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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