Second escaped inmate from Jasper County back in custody after fleeing to GA, police say

Days after Jasper County’s other escapee was found and arrested in northern Florida, a second fugitive has turned himself in to authorities after slipping away from law enforcement outside the county courthouse last month.

Jashaun Heyward, 23, surrendered to police early Tuesday morning and was returned into custody at the Jasper County Detention Center. Initially accused of misdemeanor assault and pointing firearms at a person, he now faces additional charges for his breakaway, according to the sheriff’s office.

The escape happened just after 2 p.m. on June 28, as Jasper County deputies led Heyward out of the courthouse after his bond was revoked. He escaped the officers’ grasp and fled to Georgia, where family members convinced the man to turn himself in.

Jasper County’s criminal investigations division is looking into the circumstances of Heyward’s escape. Charges could be brought forward against any individuals who might have helped the fugitive evade police, the release says.

Heyward’s return to jail concludes a tumultuous month in Jasper County after two inmates escaped law enforcement custody less than three weeks apart. Port Royal resident and convicted sex offender Jaquan Duvall Barnes, 29, was arrested during a Monday traffic stop in Jacksonville, Florida following his escape from the county’s understaffed detention center in early June.