Arkansas inmates escape through hole they made in jail ceiling, sheriff's office says

The two Arkansas inmates who are on the run Wednesday following their escape from a jail in Pine Bluff broke out of the facility after making a hole in the shower area, the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says. 

Maj. John Bean told Fox News Digital that investigators are "running down leads" and "checking out known addresses, friends, [and] family" of Noah Roush and Jatonia Bryant, but have so far not been able to track them down. 

"They were able to get out through the shower area by making a hole through the ceiling and then once making their way through that hole, they made a hole in the roof of our facility and got out through there," Bean said, describing how Roush and Bryant – who was being detained on a murder charge – vanished from the Dub Brassell Adult Detention Center earlier this week. 

"I would encourage them to turn themselves in as soon as possible," Bean added. 

TWO ARKANSAS INMATES, INCLUDING 1 HELD ON MURDER CHARGE, VANISH FROM JAIL 

Noah Roush, left, and Jatonia Bryant are on the run after vanishing from a jail in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office)

Bean described Roush as a "person of interest" in a 2022 case in which a body was found in the county. 

"Both individuals are to be considered dangerous and should only be approached [by] law enforcement personnel," the Sheriff’s Office said Monday. "All efforts are being made at this moment to apprehend these suspects.   

"The JCSO is working in cooperation with the Pine Bluff Police Department Vice and Narcotics, Arkansas State Police, and Arkansas Department of Correction to locate these individuals," it added. 

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The Dub Brassell Adult Detention Center in Pine Bluff, where the inmates were being held prior to their escape. (Google Maps)

Roush, 22, was being held on "probable cause for residential burglary and theft of property," according to police. 

The 23-year-old Bryant, meanwhile, was being detained "on probable cause for Capital Murder," the Sheriff’s Office says. 

Authorities described Roush as a White male who is 6 feet 2 inches tall, weighing approximately 180 pounds and having a scar on the right side of his head, while Bryant is a Black male who is 5 feet 11 inches tall, weighing around 145 pounds. 

The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office says multiple law enforcement agencies are participating in the search for the inmates. (Jefferson County Sheriff's Office)

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The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette reports that Bryant turned himself in last year following the shooting death of a 49-year-old man in July 2023.