A Rockdale County inmate managed to escape from a hospital, steal two vehicles, ditch a gown for clothes, hail rideshares and lead multiple police agencies on a search that extended to a third day.
Early Wednesday, the inmate’s path through metro Atlanta came to end with him once again in handcuffs. Timothy Allen Shane, 52, was found in an abandoned Newton County home.
How Shane managed to get away from a deputy at Grady Memorial Hospital and elude capture remained a mystery late Wednesday. But Rockdale Sheriff Eric Levett said an internal investigation within his department was underway, along with the criminal investigation into Shane’s escape.
By the time the inmate was caught, multiple law enforcement agencies in four counties, plus the Georgia State Patrol’s helicopter, had been involved in the manhunt, Levett said Wednesday afternoon. No injuries were reported, though Shane was warned to be armed and dangerous with an extensive criminal record.
“I am hard on crime and I’m big on crime-fighting,” Levett said, while commending the efforts to apprehend Shane.
But there were many unanswered questions, including how Shane escaped from the hospital while in custody. And did others help him evade police?
At an afternoon news conference, the sheriff said he couldn’t answer those questions while the investigations are ongoing.
“We are currently awaiting surveillance from the hospital to see what happened,” Levett said.
Days after his Nov. 24 arrest, officials said Shane attempted to hurt himself, prompting his visit to the hospital Sunday night. Levett said he believes Shane might have faked that suicide attempt as part of a plan to escape custody.
“We knew that inmate Shane had a history of fleeing and stealing vehicles, which was a huge concern of ours once we learned that he had escaped from the hospital,” the sheriff said.
Two deputies were initially with Shane at Grady, Levett confirmed. Later, it was only one. That deputy has been placed on administrative leave.
Jail inmates being treated for medical issues typically are in handcuffs and shackles unless they are removed for certain tests, according to the sheriff. Levett said Shane had not yet been taken to the detention area of Grady when he escaped.
Levett acknowledged the community’s concerns and said he also wants answers.
After Shane left the hospital, investigators say they believe he stole an SUV and crashed it, but took time to grab a Glock handgun that was left inside. From there, he stole a silver Pontiac near Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which he abandoned Monday night at a Henry County Publix, police said.
At some point, he was able to put on clothes and shoes, according to investigators.
By the time someone spotted Shane at the grocery store and officers arrived, he was gone. But surveillance cameras, and later a Ring camera, captured Shane along the way.
Somehow, the inmate managed to hail two rideshares, with one dropping him off at a Rockdale home. The house was searched, but he wasn’t there.
Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Credit: Ben Hendren for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
On Tuesday afternoon, Shane was spotted at a Dunkin, Levett said. Investigators are still working to determine how Shane may have paid for rides or if others helped him, the sheriff said.
Early Wednesday, Shane began knocking on doors in the Covington area, according to police. It was the final stretch in his escape.
According to the Covington Police Department, a homeowner on Green Acres Court called police at 1 a.m. Wednesday to report a man who appeared to be Shane was knocking on the door.
“The suspect fled prior to officer arrival, but the homeowner provided Ring camera footage that clearly showed the suspect’s clothing,” the department said.
Officers continued searching the area, and Rockdale deputies arrived to assist. A resident of Ford Street reported Shane knocking on the door, according to police.
A police K-9 assisted investigators with tracking Shane to an abandoned house on Morris Drive, where a rear window had been broken, police said. He was found inside and taken into custody without incident.
Later Wednesday, Shane was back behind bars in the Rockdale jail, Levett confirmed.
The sheriff’s office did not immediately provide Shane’s criminal history. But Florida Department of Corrections records show that a man with the same name and birth date served three times in prison from 1990 through 2018 for a total of about 25 years. His charges included multiple counts of robbery, burglary, grand theft motor vehicle and escape, records show.
His most recent run-in with police began Nov. 23 when he allegedly kidnapped a woman in Newton County, according to Conyers police.
Earlier that day, he took the woman from her Covington home and ordered her to pay him $500 to be returned, a police report states. He then drove to various convenience stores ordering the woman to withdraw the money from ATMs, the report details.
“Throughout the day, she made several attempts to alert members of the public and law enforcement that she was in trouble and needed help,” officers noted in the report.
At one convenience store, the woman mouthed “help me” to a clerk, who called police.
Shane then allegedly led police on a pursuit that hit 128 mph, forcing officers to use a PIT maneuver, or pursuit immobilization technique, to stop his vehicle. After deploying a Taser to subdue Shane, officers took him into custody, according to police. He was found with a gun, marijuana and methamphetamine.
Shane was booked into the Rockdale jail the following day.
He is expected to face additional charges related to his escape and stealing vehicles. Those have not been announced.
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