For the second time this year, someone has escaped from the La Plata County Jail.
Elias Buck, 22, of Durango, scaled a fence behind the kitchen and escaped on foot about 5:30 p.m. Monday, said Chris Burke, spokesman with the Sheriff’s Office. He was discovered missing during a head-count shortly after the escape and remained missing Tuesday night, Burke said.
Buck was in jail on suspicion of motor vehicular theft, a felony.
He was serving as a member of the jail’s trustee program, which allows incarcerated people to perform jobs around the jail to earn “good time.”
He was last seen wearing a jean jacket, an orange beanie and green jail-issued pants.
Buck escaped from the same location where Jonah Barrett-Lesko escaped Sept. 21, Burke said. Barrett-Lesko made news after being arrested on suspicion of having sexual intercourse with a horse at the La Plata County Fairgrounds. He was also suspected in a series of felony-level burglaries.
Burke said the Sheriff’s Office is aware it has a security issue, and the lapse should be resolved with the 2022 budget.
Buck arrived at the jail on Dec. 7 and was being held on $10,000 bail. His next court appearance was a preliminary demand set for Jan. 7.
Anyone who sees Buck or anyone matching his description is asked to call 911 or dispatch at 385-2900.
shane@durangoherald.com
