Webster County inmate back in jail after using Christmas lights to escape

The Associated Press

MARSHFIELD, Mo. -- Webster County officials aren't taking the attempted escape of a jail inmate lightly.

Authorities said they arrested 17-year-old Shane Sartin on Friday morning along a highway after he broke out of the Webster County jail Thursday night using a string of Christmas lights to climb down from a third-story exercise area in the county courthouse.

They say the Christmas lights broke and Sartin apparently injured his back falling to the ground.

He still got away, however, and changed from his orange prison jumpsuit to sweats and T-shirt before officers found him.

Sartin, of Seymour, Mo., was being held on stealing charges. Authorities said they took Sartin to a hospital to gauge the extent of his back injury.