Dawn Castro
The Valdosta Daily Times
VALDOSTA —
A Lowndes County Jail escapee was able to enjoy four minutes of freedom Wednesday before being apprehended.
Around 2 p.m., Daniel David Litz, 22, escaped from a holding cell at the Lowndes County Jail by breaching a concrete block wall, Lowndes County Sheriff Chris Prine said. The wall had a gaping hole in it, which Prine said is currently being repaired.
He added the inmate was observed by a Lowndes County court officer who was trying to exit the front door of the facility. The inmate attempted to leave the premises on foot, running toward Madison Highway. He was apprehended just outside the guard line within minutes by Lowndes County deputies with the assistance of an investigator from the public defender’s office. The inmate was being held in a holding cell, along with 20 other inmates, while waiting for his chance to appear in court before attempting to escape.
He was previously arrested in July on suspicion of traffic and felony violations which consisted of receiving stolen property and possession of a firearm by a felon, according to Prine.
The inmate will be charged with escape. Prine said the practice of placing inmates in the holding cell is determined by a judge and that is how they will continue to hold inmates until told otherwise.
“Because of budget cuts, we don’t have the manpower we need,” Prine told the Times. “We do our best guarding the inmates with the personnel we have. After learning about the escape, we acted quickly and were very fortunate to have caught him without incident.”
