Inmate who escaped from Lake County Jail arrested in Texas

A 22-year-old inmate who had help from his girlfriend when he escaped from a jail last week in northwest Indiana was arrested Tuesday in San Antonio, Texas.

Richard N. Campos, 22, was last seen April 30 working as a trustee assigned to laundry detail at the Lake County Jail complex in Crown Point, according to a statement from the sheriff’s office.

Authorities believe the escape was planned in advance and that Campos had assistance from his girlfriend, 20-year-old Elysia Marie Jeronimo of Hammond.

Campos, a member of the Latin Kings, was arrested April 25 for operating a vehicle while intoxicated, and also on active warrants from Whiting and Hammond, according to the sheriff’s office.

On Tuesday, Campos and Jeronimo were taken into custody in Texas, the sheriff’s office said. After they tried to flee, the couple was apprehended by San Antonio law enforcement.

The Lake County sheriff’s office will file for extradition for both Campos and Jeronimo. The escape remains under investigation, but police said human error may have occurred.

Detectives in Indiana worked “non-stop for over 72 hours to successfully locate these individuals,” the sheriff’s office said.