SUMTER, S.C. — Sumter County Sheriff Anthony Dennis has announced an inmate that escaped Sumter County Detention Center on Sunday evening is again in custody.
Lance Michael Alberti escaped the detention center on Oct. 9 and was recaptured the morning of Monday, Oct. 10. Sumter authorities, coordinating with the Orangeburg County Sheriff's Office, followed up on information suggesting Alberti was at a truck stop in the Santee area.
Alberti was located Sunday night but fled in a stolen vehicle, leading deputies in a short car chase that ended when Alberti wrecked along a side road near Interstate 95. Alberti ran from the crashed vehicle and into a wooded area and was last seen in the area of Highway 15, along Exit 93 off I-95. He was able to evade a helicopter and K9 search units overnight.
Alberti was taken into custody Monday morning while attempting to hide in a residence in Vance, a small town near Santee in Orangeburg County.
Personnel from the Sumter County Sheriff’s Office, the Orangeburg County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol (SCHP), South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED), and officers from Holly Hill and Elloree police departments coordinated in Alberti’s capture.
Sheriff Dennis explained, “I am grateful for the mass response from our neighboring agencies and their efforts to help put this individual back where he belongs. This person was determined to take extreme measures to avoid law enforcement and potential consequences. He will now face multiple additional charges for his actions.”
It was determined Alberti made his initial escape from the detention center by squeezing himself through part of an airduct passage. That portion of the building was repaired and reinforced to prevent another escape.
Alberti was originally facing a probation violation and a shoplifting charge, but now faces an escape charge that carries a term of up to fifteen years. He also faces multiple charges from Orangeburg related to his capture.