Man escapes while being detained at south Georgia jail, hasn’t been seen since

MCRAE-HELENA, Ga. — On Friday, a south Georgia sheriff’s office reported a man arrested by another agency had escaped while being detained at the county jail.

Four days later, Niculas Clark has still not been found, according to the Telfair County Sheriff’s Office.

Deputies said Clark was detained on misdemeanor theft charges on Friday afternoon.

[DOWNLOAD: Free WSB-TV News app for alerts as news breaks]

“As the officer was attempting to escort the offender into the center, Clark broke away from the officer and ran towards the entry of the detention center driveway,” the sheriff’s office said in a statement online.

The main gate at the detention center was still closing, so Clark was able to run through the gate and off of the jail property.

TRENDING STORIES:

• Police show shocking aftermath of single-car crash on I-285 in Sandy Springs
• Risk for isolated strong storms with heavy rain, wind gusts up to 45 mph today
• DeKalb County teacher being investigated after TikTok trend video goes too far, school district says

Regarding the chain of custody for Clark, the sheriff’s office said in a statement that “It should be noted that Clark was never booked into our detention facility, and therefore never in the custody of the Telfair County Sheriff’s Office.”

Now, the sheriff’s office and McRae-Helena police department are both searching for Clark. Deputies said he is from McRae-Helena, so he may be trying to return there.

Clark was last seen wearing a dark jacket with BDU-style pants, according to deputies. Anyone with information about his whereabouts is asked to call 911.

The sheriff’s office said that while Clark is still at large, McRae-Helena Police Chief Glenn Giles reported that Clark was seen in the McRae-Helena area and that officers are continuing to look for him.

[SIGN UP: WSB-TV Daily Headlines Newsletter]

IN OTHER NEWS:

Crews battle massive fire in Buckhead neighborhood

©2023 Cox Media Group