LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. — This morning's inmate escape has residents in the area where he was captured on edge.
Witnesses and business owners tell News 19 they're feeling nervous following the apprehension.
"We were just standing outside having a casual conversation and then next thing we know Lexington County, Richland County both ways were flying in at us," Rubie McCarson, witness said.
Tuesday was a day unlike others for businesses near the Knights Inn hotel on Bush River Road.
A Richland County jail inmate was apprehended here Tuesday morning.
Charles Meador escaped from Alvin S. Glenn to Knights Inn which is 23 minutes by car, six hours by foot according to Google Maps.
Rubie McCarson tells News 19 she saw the entire scene unfold before her eyes in her work parking lot.
"And then they were just going out basically running toward something and we didn't really realize what it was and next thing you know we just see somebody walking out in handcuffs," McCarson said.
McCarson works as the operations manager at the Molly Maid next door. But she explains a law enforcement presence in the area is not unusual.
"We just see a lot of drug activity," McCarson said. "I'm just glad that Lexington County, Richland County were able to detain him, get him off the streets before he hurt somebody or hurt himself."
Jorg Hohmann, the owner of the comic book store Heroes and Dragons near Knights Inn tells News 19 although he didn't witness what happened, he thinks jail security needs to be taken more seriously.
"Clearly. I think we should all be concerned about that, if it's so lax that there's just holes in the fence and people are slipping out," Hohmann said.
"I feel like we're already in a bad place when it comes to employment in all ways around so I feel like we don't have enough to cover already as far as detention centers and jails and things like that. We don't have enough security officers, law enforcement already, so the fact that these things are happening makes me a little nervous," McCarson said.
Hohmann tells News 19 he wants to see some change.
"Obviously they aren't getting it done, so something, right?" Hohmann said.
"I'm just glad it was like this and it wasn't when he jacked a car or shot somebody or it could've went a whole different direction so I'm just happy that it was a happy ending. They got him back to where he needed to be and everybody was safe in the end," McCarson said.
News 19 has requested an incident report from Richland County Sheriff's Department of Meador's capture. Deputies tell us it is not available yet, but we will be sure to bring you that information once we have it.