Authorities are searching for an inmate who escaped during an appearance at the Houston courthouse, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office said at a news conference Thursday.
The inmate, Nigel Thomas Sanders, 35, was in custody on three counts of burglary and one count of unlawful possession of a weapon by a felon. Sanders showed up at the courthouse at 1301 Franklin Street around 3:30 p.m. local time, authorities said. He restrained a court employee at knifepoint, KHOU reported, before fleeing the courthouse.
The sheriff said Sanders got into a car after escaping the courthouse, at which point the female driver crashed the car and the inmate fled. There were no injuries.
Marine units searched the bayou for the suspect. Sanders has no fixed address, the sheriff said, and authorities believe he has a knife.
This is a breaking news story. Check back later for updates.
