Search continues for escaped inmate in southern Colorado

GRAND JUNCTION, Colo. (KJCT) – Authorities in a southern Colorado County are alerting the public after a man escaped custody Friday morning.

An urgent search for 38-year-old Ronald Collier, a man from Gillette, Wyoming transferred to Bent County Jail, continued into Friday.

Jail records revealed that Collier was arrested in February for alleged burglary assault with a deadly weapon and third degree assault. The man escaped from the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center when being treated Thursday night. Investigators with the Otero County Sheriff’s Office said that Collier escaped around 11:39 p.m.

Andy Flemer, CEO of the Arkansas Valley Regional Medical Center, says “He did have handcuffs on, but he was able to get away from the guard that was with him. And the guard went in pursuit of him out of our emergency department and across our helipad and then up the hill behind the helipad.”

The Hospital says that they treat inmates nearly everyday but they have never had one escape. Flemer continues, “we have some vacant buildings. So we thought maybe he could have gone into one of those. So those were all searched as well. Nothing other than the footprints across the helipad.”

Multiple agencies, including Colorado State Patrol (CSP), continue to urgently search for him. Otero County Sheriff’s says that they are looking for Collier not only with units on the ground but via drone and dog teams.

Law enforcement says that Collier could be armed and dangerous.

Early Friday morning, it was reported that 2007 white Dodge Grand Caravan was stolen from a driveway near the hospital that Collier escaped from. The Baca County Sheriff’s Office says a handgun was under the driver’s seat.

This is all the information available at this time.

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