By Associated Press - Friday, February 14, 2014

FLORENCE, Ariz. (AP) - Authorities in Pinal County are searching for an inmate who scaled two fences and escaped from the jail in Florence.

County Sheriff’s officials say 40-year-old Joseph Andrew Dekenipp was inside the fenced recreational yard with other inmates Friday afternoon.

When the inmates returned back to their housing unit about 4 p.m., Dekenipp was unaccounted for.



Sheriff’s officials say Dekenipp somehow was able to climb to the top of a 12-foot-high fence, crawl through the razor wire and jump to the other side.

He then ran to a second perimeter fence and climbed over that one too.

It appears he got into a vehicle driven by another person to escape.

Dekenipp was booked into jail Jan. 10 on suspicion of theft, trafficking in stolen property, unlawful flight and other charges.

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