CLEARFIELD – A seven-hour manhunt for an escaped Clearfield County Jail inmate ended without incident when Ronald J. Beltowski, 19, of Cherry Tree, turned himself in to authorities Sunday at 9:30 p.m.
Beltowski escaped from the jail at about 2:30 p.m. Sunday, and new details about the incident were released by Clearfield County District Attorney William A. Shaw Jr. Monday morning.
Shaw said he learned that Beltowski likely scaled a fence and made his way to the roof of the jail. There, Chief Deputy Sheriff Rob Snyder said, Beltowski shed his orange jail-issued jumpsuit and made off into the woods wearing a white T-shirt and boxer shorts.
Officers from Lawrence Township Police Department were in the woods within minutes of the reported escape, and Clearfield County Jail Warden Sam Lombardo said the jail went on immediate lock-down, as is standard operating procedure.
Shaw said Beltowski went into the woods near the jail and traveled to the Clearfield Bypass (state Route 879) where he walked toward Hyde. He then used the Rails-to-Trails path. At some point, Beltowski began hitchhiking and was driven to Westover. He walked from Westover to his mother’s home in Cherry Tree.
“I don’t know that they thought it was suspicious until they heard the reports,” Shaw said of the people who picked up Beltowski, adding that it was then that they contacted law enforcement officers.
Once Beltowski got to Cherry Tree, Shaw said he believes Beltowski went to his mother’s home and obtained a cell phone and some clothes. Beltowski allegedly went to a wooded area behind his mother’s home and communicated with his mother and later, law enforcement officers.
“[His] mom did the appropriate thing and called officials,” Shaw said.
Within minutes of speaking to Beltowski on the cell phone, he surrendered without incident.
Afterward, he was examined at Miner’s Hospital in Hastings as a precautionary measure.
During the search, the command center was moved from the Clearfield County Jail to Woodland Park in Bradford Township after authorities received three seperate reports of sightings in that area.
The search team, comprised of about 75 people from the Clearfield County Jail, Clearfield County Sheriff’s Department, Clearfield Borough Police Department, Lawrence Township Police Department, Curwensville Borough Police Department, Morris-Cooper Police Department and Pennsylvania state police including the aviation unit. Search efforts were supported by the Clearfield County Emergency Management Agency, the Clearfield-Jefferson Chapter of the American Red Cross, the Clearfield Borough Fire Department and the Lawrence Township Fire Department.
Beltowski was in Clearfield County Jail as a result of a criminal complaint filed Sept. 5 for theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property. Shaw said with the charges Beltowski was arraigned on Monday, which include escape, flight to avoid apprehension and disorderly conduct, he has four cases pending in Clearfield County Court.
“I don’t think that there was any immediate danger to the community,” Shaw said during Monday’s press conference. He noted that Beltowski was not in jail regarding any type of violent crime.
The exception, according to Shaw, is that when someone is pursued by the police or law enforcement, there is the potential for a burglary or theft to facilitate the escape.
Shaw pointed to an incident that happened May 18, 2005, when Daryl Shaneyfelt led authorities on a two-day manhunt after he assaulted an officer responding to a reported burglary. Shaneyfelt is serving a lengthy state sentence for that crime.
Beltowski remains innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. However, Shaw said if he were to be found guilty, the escape charge alone carries with it a maximum sentence of five years.
A preliminary hearing has yet to be scheduled in the case.
Prior to Sunday, the last time an inmate escaped from the Clearfield County Jail was in 1987 or 1988, according to Lombardo.
Shaw thanked the officers and volunteers who assisted in the search.
“The community should feel confident in knowing that every effort was made to locate and apprehend the suspect in a timely manner,” Shaw said.
A full investigation is being done at the Clearfield County Jail with respect to the escape.
Lombardo said he expects that to be completed within the next day or so.
He noted that the escape happened during mandated “yard time.” The inmates are required to have two hours of time to be outside every day.
Lombardo said he will report the findings of the investigation to the Clearfield County Prison Board.