Woman inmate on work release from York County prison flees from animal shelter job
A woman inmate on work release at the York County animal shelter Sunday remains uncaught after she left the job, officials said.
Alyah Nicole Thompson fled into nearby woods from York County Animal Control shelter, according to a York County Sheriff’s Office report. Thompson, an inmate charged with petty larceny in Rock Hill, took off her boots while working with the animals and ran, the report stated.
A sheriff’s office K-9 team and drone team searched for Thompson but did not find her, deputies said.
Thompson, 20, was an inmate at the York County Prison, according to sheriff’s office spokesman Trent Faris and York County spokesperson Trish Startup.
Startup declined to discuss details of Thompson’s job at the animal shelter, citing the ongoing investigation.
Deputies have an arrest warrant charging Thompson with escape, Faris said.
Escape is a felony in South Carolina that carries one year to 15 years in prison for a conviction, state law shows.
The sheriff’s office issued a public alert about the escape on its public Facebook and Twitter social media platforms.
The animal shelter is adjacent to both the prison and the sheriff’s office in York, next door to the Moss Justice Center.
The county prison is a 256-bed minimum security facility operated by the York County Public Works Department. Inmates who have already been sentenced are used as an additional workers for the Public Works Department, according to the York County Web site..
The prison is different from the York County Detention Center jail at the Moss center, which is operated by the sheriff’s office and houses inmates awaiting trial..
Check back for updates on this developing story.
