The state prison inmate who escaped from a work detail in Pasco County has been caught.
At 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, a Hillsborough County sheriff's deputy noticed a man who looked like Jason Wayne Adams riding his bicycle east on Broadway Avenue at Harris Parkway Place in Tampa.
The deputy pulled over and asked the man for identification and he identified himself as Jason Adams. Adams was arrested without incident and will be booked into the Orient Road Jail, authorities said.
On Monday afternoon, the 27-year-old inmate at Sumter Correctional Institution walked away from a work detail near State Road 54 and Oak Grove Boulevard in Lutz. Authorities said he told a guard he was going to go relieve himself in the woods and never returned.
Adams made it across county lines into Hillsborough before he was caught. However, Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said they were delayed in their initial response, as it took an hour and a half for the state to notify them that Adams had gotten away.
"We have to work with the Department of Corrections and find out why we weren't notified sooner, and I know that's something the Department of Corrections is looking at because we've had conversations about that already," he said.
The Department of Corrections released a statement that said, "Public safety is the department's first priority and we worked closely with local law enforcement to extend every resource to locate this inmate. We commend the efforts of all involved and the success of law enforcement in apprehending Inmate Adams."
According to state records, Adams was serving a six-year sentence for burglary and grand theft convictions from Brevard County.
Multiple law enforcement agencies searched for Adams overnight and throughout the first part of Tuesday.
The Pasco County Sheriff's Office used a helicopter and bloodhounds, along with deputies checking the area overnight. A blue and white prison uniform, which officials believe belongs to Adams, is all that turned up.
Officials said earlier they hadn't determined whether Adams had outside help to avoid capture. Records indicate he does not have a violent criminal record.
Nocco said the investigation into what happened is not over, and that detectives are now trying to find out who may have helped Adams escape.
Pasco Sheriff's Office statement
"The capture of Department of Correction escapee Jason Adam brings to a conclusion of just one aspect of this investigation. We will now focus our efforts on how this escape occurred and who, if anyone, helped him. There are also other aspects of this case that are under investigation and may lead to further charges. Those details will come at a later date when the investigation of the escape comes to a conclusion.
"We thank the members of the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office who apprehended Jason Adams as he rode a bike in the area of Broadway Avenue and Parkway Place. Additionally, each law enforcement agency who gave their time and effort in an attempt to locate and bring Jason Adams to justice, the Pasco Sheriff's Office thanks you.
"The citizens who provided investigators leads in Jason Adams' whereabouts are to be commended. They provide a great example of how when we work together, we can help make our community safer and better."
Department of Corrections statement
"The Department of Corrections will continue to investigate the situation and circumstances surrounding the escape of inmate Jason W. Adams. We appreciate the efforts of local law enforcement that led to his apprehension this afternoon.
"Now that he is back in custody, DOC will shift its focus to reviewing procedures related to inmate work squads as well as the process for notifying local law enforcement officials. The DOC will also continue to work collaboratively with local law enforcement to investigate how inmate Adams planned his escape and we ask anyone with information about who assisted him to please call the Department or contact their local law enforcement."