SPALDING COUNTY, Ga. — A Spalding County inmate who escaped work detail is back behind bars. And now his wife is a few hallways down in the same, the sheriff’s office said.
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The Spalding County Sheriff’s Office said Justin Scott Woodruff, 39, who was in custody for a violation of probation, walked away from an assigned on-facility work detail on Wednesday, prompting a multi-county search involving several law enforcement agencies.
Sheriff Darrell Dix stated, “Based on information they gathered, it was highly likely that at some point Woodruff would return to the residence if he felt that the search had ended.”
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The search for Woodruff expanded to locations in Butts, Upson, Lamar, and Monroe Counties, where local agencies assisted in gathering information and searching for the fugitive.
Monroe County deputies found Woodruff’s wife, Jessica Woodruff, 35, who admitted to picking him up and taking him to a home in Yatesville, officials said.
“At about 9:20 p.m., there was a knock on the door, and it was Woodruff. When the deputies inside opened the door and confronted him, he tried to run but was taken into custody after a brief struggle in the front yard,” the sheriff’s office said.
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Sheriff Dix said when the fugitive was caught, he wanted to make it a ‘memorable experience.’
“Whoever picked him up would have a memorable experience, and she did. His goal in escaping was to get back to his wife. Well, he is not exactly with her, but he is definitely closer to her than he was. She’s just right down a few hallways, through a few gates, past several cell blocks and housing units away from him. That’s as close as they’ll be for a Long, long time,” Dix said.
Justin Woodruff is now facing multiple charges, including felony escape, while Jessica Woodruff is charged with aiding in an escape.
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