Former York Co. prison escapee, 1 more charged after robbery, assault; 3rd person sought

A Blacksburg man who briefly escaped from York County Prison in March is back in custody on drug charges, according to a York County Sheriff’s Office report.

Michael Eugene Davis, 43, was arrested Tuesday night during an investigation into a strong-arm robbery on Lincoln Road in York, the report says. The report does not say Davis was part of the robbery. However, he ran from the scene with drug paraphernalia when deputies arrived, the report says.

A second person was arrested and a third is sought in connection with the robbery, deputies say.

Deputies responded at about 11 p.m. Tuesday to an assault report in York, the report says.

A man was lying in his driveway with injuries to his head and legs, the report says. The man told deputies he had been assaulted and robbed by Tristan West and his girlfriend Tasha Lee Howard, 35, the victim’s cousin. He told deputies West “viciously assaulted him,” took his wallet and gave it to Howard, the report says.

Howard, who returned to the house while deputies were there, said West assaulted the man while she was with him on the deck. She said West handed her the man’s wallet, but she put it on the kitchen table. The wallet hadn’t been seen since, the report says.

Howard told deputies she had $200, the report says. The victim’s girlfriend told deputies Howard took $300 from the victim’s wallet, the report says.

When she was told to empty her pockets, Howard had $300 and “could not provide an explanation from where the money came from,” the report says. A small bag of what appeared to be meth “fell out of an undisclosed location on Tasha’s person” when she was arrested, the report says.

Howard was charged with criminal conspiracy, manufacture or distribution of cocaine and strong-arm robbery.

K-9 units searched for West, Davis and another suspect, who fled into the woods when deputies arrived, the report says. Davis and the other suspect were carrying four bookbags, the report says. Davis’ bookbags held four BB guns, meth pipes and prescription medicine, the report says.

Davis is charged with possession of narcotics, possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of meth or cocaine. His bond has been set at $3,000.

The other suspect was released, the report says.

Tristan West wasn’t found. Warrants have been issued for his arrest for strong-arm robbery and conspiracy, records say.

Davis stole a county work truck in March and fled from behind the vehicle maintenance shed near the York County Prison, where he was on a work detail after being imprisoned for a Family Court bench warrant and a traffic violation, police said. He was found March 8 at a Lake Wylie home.

This story was originally published August 9, 2017 at 10:39 AM with the headline "Former York Co. prison escapee, 1 more charged after robbery, assault; 3rd person sought."