ROSEBURG, OR (KPTV) -
Investigators looking into how an Oregon inmate escaped from jail determined he hid in a trash can that was eventually dumped outside, deputies said.
Thomas Grimes, 32, was re-arrested Wednesday, more than a month after his escape from the Douglas County Jail in Roseburg.
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office performed an internal investigation at the jail after Grimes' escape. Deputies said Grimes escaped by "exploiting some flawed internal procedures."
"Specifically, Grimes hid in a trash can that was eventually dumped outside the facility by other inmate workers," according to a sheriff's office statement.
One jail employee was fired, and another employee quit in lieu of termination as a result of the sheriff's investigation. Deputies said they have since revised procedures so inmates can't escape from jail via a trash can in the future.
In the weeks after his escape, deputies said, Grimes eluded police in stolen cars, and he was considered a suspect in a number of stolen vehicle cases in the areas of Springfield and Roseburg.
Springfield police finally took Grimes into custody again early Wednesday.
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