COLUMBIA, S.C. — A 38-year-old man who had escaped the Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center in Columbia has been recaptured and is in custody.
Richland County deputies announced just before 9 a.m. that Charles Kenneth Meador had been taken into custody after hours of searching. Officers say he was found by Lexington County deputies in the parking lot of the Knights Inn on Bush River Road just off Interstate 26, which is roughly 18 miles from the jail.
Lexington County deputies said one of their officers recognized his clothes from what had been sent across law enforcement bulletins. Meador was alone when he was taken into custody.
He was last seen at Alvin S. Glenn Detention Center around 3 a.m. Tuesday, July 11. Richland County deputies say he was not located during a later regular count of detainees.
Deputies and jail officials haven't said exactly how he got away, but they did say a hole had been cut through the perimeter fence close to the woodline at the jail.
In an incident report from The Richland County Sheriff's Department, deputies responded around 3:30 am and made contact with a lieutenant.
He advised them that unknown subjects had cut a hole into the exterior and interior chain-linked fence.
The lieutenant said he observed several packages on the ground near the interior fence that had been passed through or tossed, by unknown people who then ran into the woods between the jail and Longwood Road.
The report adds the lieutenant said he couldn't retrieve those items.
Alvin S. Glenn is located on John Mark Dial Drive, off Bluff Road in southeast Richland County. Law enforcement conducted an active search of the surrounding area.
Richland County deputies say he will be facing additional charges, but it's not yet been decided what those will be.
According to public records, Meador had been arrested back on April 9 and was being held on charges of grand larceny, using a vehicle without permission, and resisting arrest.
Editors note: A previous version of this story said Meadow had been arrested on Zimalcrest Drive. Law enforcement had initially said that location, but later clarified that it was Bush River Road.