Escaped inmate caught in Whiteville

WHITEVILLE, NC (WECT) - A Tabor Correctional Institution inmate who left his work assignment in Columbus County on Tuesday is back in custody after being captured early Thursday morning.

Members of the prison staff, along with the Columbus County Sheriff's Department, captured Ricky Robinson at a home near the Columbus County Correctional Institution in Whiteville around 1 a.m.

Robinson, a minimum custody inmate, was discovered missing from his work assignment Tuesday. He was working as a janitor at the Columbus County facility when he walked away from his work detail.

Robinson, 59, will face charges for his escape. He is currently serving a sentence as a habitual felon and was scheduled for release in June 2021.

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