Momentary escape costs Sanders 10 days in jail

A minute of freedom will cost a Jacksboro man 10 days behind bars after he was able to escape from the back of a locked patrol car.

The suspect, Robert J. Sanders, entered a guilty plea Tuesday before General Sessions Judge Larry Ross to the charge of misdemeanor escape and was directed to serve 10 days of a six-month sentence and pay $210 in fines.

Sanders was charged after he was mysteriously able, with his hands cuffed, to escape from the back of a sheriff?s car minutes after he had been arrested at his Jacksboro home on unrelated state warrants.

According to Sheriff Jackie Matheny, officers had gone back inside for a quick search after placing him inside the back portion of the locked unit which was sitting near the residence. When they came back out, Sanders was gone after apparently being able to get the back window down and crawl out the opening. He was caught moments later in a nearby field.

?We?re still not sure how he was able to get the window down,? Matheny said, noting that while the window had not been locked, the window was still not designed to roll down from the back area of the patrol car. ?He didn?t get far, so a little time of freedom will cost him quite a bit more time.?