PORT ANGELES — A Port Angeles man who had escaped from the Clallam County jail was back behind bars on a $100,000 bond Monday afternoon.
Anthony Joshua Freitas, 26, was caught by police Sunday afternoon, a day after he escaped from the jail, and he appeared in Clallam County Superior Court on Monday for arraignment on new charge of escape in the second degree.
Clallam County Superior Court Judge Christopher Melly increased Freitas’ bond to $100,000 during a 1 p.m. appearance Monday, and Freitas remained in jail late Monday afternoon.
“He has not only some other things pending; he showed through his actions he has no intention to follow court orders or stick around if given the opportunity to leave,” said Ron Sukert, Clallam County jail superintendent.
Before the escape, Freitas was being held at the jail on $5,000 bond for investigation of taking a motor vehicle without the owner’s permission and third-degree malicious mischief — both nonviolent property crimes.
Freitas escaped Saturday from the kitchen of the jail.
An investigation into how Freitas gained his temporary freedom was launched and is not yet complete.
“An investigation continues with respect to how and what occurred during the escape,” Sukert said.
The investigation will review security practices and adjust them as needed, and if there was a breakdown in the system, then the department will deal with it, he said.
Kitchen staff reported Freitas’ absence to corrections deputies at about 3 p.m. Saturday.
He had last been seen about 15 minutes earlier, officials said.
Details on how Freitas was able to escape were not available.
At the time of the escape, the jail was placed into lockdown for a complete search of the inmates’ work area and the housing unit to which Freitas was assigned.
At about 3:05 p.m., a second search confirmed the inmate was no longer inside the facility.
A search of the area using officers on foot and a tracking dog was unsuccessful.
Port Angeles Police officers took Freitas into custody at 4:30 p.m. Sunday after receiving an anonymous tip that he was at a location on Caroline Street.
“He came out without incident and surrendered to law enforcement,” Sukert said.
Freitas was arrested and booked on an additional charge of second degree escape, a class C felony.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
