**Update 5:30 a.m. June 3
Jesus Arroyo was back in police custody early Tuesday after a resident in the 200 block of Harrison Street spotted him and called police.
Officers were answering a call for a suspicious person in the area. When they arrived, that individual – later identified as Arroyo – fled on foot. He was apprehended in the 200 block of Howland and taken back into custody.
“The Racine Police Department would like to thank the community for your assistance and patience through this search effort. ARROYO is back in jail tonight and the investigation into his escape is ongoing,” Racine police Sgt. Jessie Metoyer said in a press release.
Officers from several law enforcement agencies – including every K9 officer team in the county – searched for several hours Monday after Arroyo escaped from custody.
Arroyo, 36, was being transported by agents from the Department of Corrections from the Milwaukee County Jail to Racine on a probation hold. He is believed to have escaped after the DOC van entered the Racine County Jail inmate receiving area at 12:50 p.m. but before the garage door had fully closed.
Messages to the DOC have not yet been returned.
Racine police alerted the media by 1:15 p.m and left automated messages with Racine-area residents by 2:45 p.m.
By the time Racine County Sheriff Lt. Steve Sikora and Metoyer held a brief press conference in front of the Racine County Courthouse at 5 p.m., officers were gearing up across the street for a re-deployment.
“We don’t have him yet,” Metoyer said during the press briefing. “But we continue to go yard-to-yard and officers are readying for a new grid search and to refocus our efforts.”
Arroyo was seen running south from 8th and Wisconsin wearing a white, sleeveless t-shirt, shorts and was most probably wearing belly chains connected to handcuffs. He is about 5’09” and 220 pounds with long hair in a ponytail and facial hair. He is considered a dangerous person, and law enforcement wanted residents to call 911 if they spotted him anywhere.
According to online court records, Arroyo has past convictions for violent crimes and escape.
All Racine Unified schools were under lockdown for a few hours Monday while law enforcement searched the south side of the city and possibly into the Village of Mount Pleasant.
By 3:15 p.m., the last of RUSD schools – Bull Fine Arts – was released from the lockdown and students were dismissed at their normal time of 4 p.m.
Metoyer said officers were surprised that Arroyo hasn’t been apprehended since he escaped during the day in a busy area of town.
“We hoped we’d have him in custody quickly,” she said. “It was bright daylight in an area with people.”
Sikora said Sheriff’s deputies and Racine police jumped into action as soon as they were alerted that Arroyo was gone, but Sikora also said they couldn’t be sure how much time elapsed between Arroyo’s escape and when authorities were notified.
“All I know is that we jumped into action immediately,” he said.
Every Racine police squad was on the street participating in the search for Arroyo along with officers from Mount Pleasant, the Sheriff’s Department, Wisconsin State Patrol and Air 1 helicopter, which flew a grid pattern to help officers on the ground.
Police are still investigating this incident. Anyone with any information is urged to leave an anonymous tip with Crime Stoppers at (262) 636-9330; by email at www.racine.crimestoppers.web or by texting TIP417 to CRIMES (274637).
You think ain’t nobody escaping from racine authorities whoevever was transferring this guy got paid and they got paid good think bout it he may have had on belly chains and handcuffs he rode with yo ass all the way from milwaukee you know and you know u know how much did y’all get b truthful they say we criminals but where are the real criminals think about that