A prisoner who escaped from a work detail Wednesday was taken back into custody Thursday morning, according to the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.
- Joshua Holmes caught in southern part of county
- Deputies say he was hiding in attic of home
- He escaped work detail Wednesday
Joshua Holmes, 36, was caught in Masaryktown in the southern part of the county.
Officials said in a news release that Holmes was first spotted on the roof of a residence on Jenkins Avenue and that he jumped off and escaped into nearby woods.
Deputies later were told Holmes was at a residence on Grand Avenue, and he was found in an attic. A woman and her two children were in the home at the time but got out safely.
"I look out my window, I see cops going up and down the street," said Roxanne Vanderbeer. "I'm scared, I'm thinking of my kids. I don't know what to do at this point." She had texted 911.
Vanderbeer and her kids went outside and were escorted to safety by deputies.
Meanwhile, Holmes didn't give up easily, authorities said.
"When deputies engaged Holmes, he refused to comply with lawful commands and continued to evade them, inside the attic," the news release said. "During this time, Holmes fell through the attic/ceiling into the house. He then jumped out a window, where deputies awaited his arrival."
Holmes had been assigned to work detail at the Northwest Solid Waste Management Facility on Norris Bishop Loop in Brooksville.
Officials said Holmes and two other inmates were working Wednesday under the supervision of Hernando County landfill employees when Holmes left the facility without authorization.
He was serving time for grand theft auto.