COLUMBUS, Ohio (WSYX) — Authorities are actively searching for four inmates who escaped from a minimum-security facility near Frebis Avenue on Columbus’ southeast side late Thursday night.
Identified through court documents as Nikko Burton, Jeremy Bowen, Mark Long, and Michael Norton, the four men allegedly broke a window, scaled a wire fence, and fled toward Frebis Avenue, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office. Deputies were alerted to the escape around 9:20 p.m..
At the time of the escape, Bowen was seen wearing a yellow shirt and blue pants, while Burton, Long, and Norton were dressed in grey hoodies with blue pants.
The facility, opened in 1993, is designated for non-violent male offenders and serves as a prison diversion program for adult males under community-based correctional supervision.
An internal video reportedly captured the escape, but authorities are withholding its release, citing its relevance to the ongoing investigation. Administrators of the facility have released limited information about the circumstances of the incident.
Background checks reveal each man has a criminal history:
Mark Long: incarcerated for theft
Nikko Burton: serving time for a probation violation
Michael Norton and Jeremy Bowen: in the CBCF program for parole violations
Security expert Tony Casper noted the rarity of such incidents in the area:
“It’s very unusual to happen in Franklin County… To see it happen in a minimum-security facility, that’s where it’s going to happen.”
Authorities urge the public to avoid approaching the escapees and to report any sightings to local law enforcement immediately.
