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Sheriff's Office: Jail inmates tricked, assaulted guard to escape

Posted at 10:12 AM, Feb 11, 2020
and last updated 2020-02-12 01:10:33-05

On Tuesday morning the Big Horn County Sheriff's Office released how the inmates at the Big Horn County Jail escaped on Friday.

A press release states that inmates lured a Big Horn County Detention Officer into one of the larger men’s cell blocks by convincing the officer of a sick person. Two or three male inmates then grabbed the officer and pulled him inside where they assaulted him and bound him.

The release states that inmates were able to get a jail key from the officer and proceeded to the Big Horn County Dispatch area where they assaulted a dispatcher, handcuffed her and placed her on the floor.

They convinced the dispatcher to show them how to open the garage into booking and escaped out the garage door, according to the release.

Additional assistance was requested from the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T Team to assist the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office with the Jail. Billings Police Department also responded to assist with the efforts to regain control of the Detention Facility. Also responding were Montana Highway Patrol and the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

The Billings Police Department said in a Twitter post on Tuesday that Stephen Caplett and Anthony Castro have been arrested .

Details of where and how the men were arrested in Billings have not been released.

A third escapee, Andrew Parham, remains at large.

Here's the full text of the press release sent Tuesday morning:

February 11, 2020

PRESS RELEASE:

From: Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office

On February 7, 2020 at around 10:05 P.M., inmates were able to lure a Big Horn County Detention Officer into one of the larger men’s cell block by convincing the officer of a sick person. The Officer stood at that entrance door and motioned the inmate that was ill to come to the door. Two or three male inmates at this time grabbed the Officer and pulled him inside where they assaulted him and bound him. The inmates were able to get a jail key from the officer and proceeded to the Big Horn County Dispatch area where they again assaulted a dispatcher and handcuffed her and placed her on the floor area. There were approximately three to four inmates in the dispatch area at this time. They convinced the dispatcher to show them how to open the garage into booking and escaped out the garage door.

At no time did all the other inmates leave the jail area. The inmates never went around the courthouse area or destroy any other County property accept in the secure detention area. There was damaged caused in the Big Horn County Detention Facility.

Additional assistance was requested from the Yellowstone County Sheriff’s Office S.W.A.T Team to assist the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Office with the Jail. Billings Police Department also responded to assist with the efforts to regain control of the Detention Facility. All this was accomplished with no other injuries to any Law Enforcement or prisoners in the jail

Investigations began immediately into the incident.

On February 10, 2019 the Big Horn County Sheriff’s Detectives Unit with the assistance of the Billings Police Department were able to track down the whereabouts of Stephan Caplett and Anthony Castro. This information was critical in their apprehension.

Andrew Parham remains still at large as of February 11, 2020. If you have any information about his whereabouts please contact your local authorities. He is described as 25 year old white male, 6’4” and weighs about 185 lbs, brown hair and brown eyes.