Oregon Man Who Escaped Prison by Walking Away from a Work Crew Rearrested
Dressed in prison garb when he made his escape by walking away from a prison work crew and jumping onto a downtown Salem bus, T.J. Harvey Bennett was rearrested in Portland on Sunday.
Bennett (44) was imprisoned at the Santiam Correctional Institution since October 2023 after he was found guilty of first-degree burglary in Columbia County.
T.J. Harvey Bennett Jumped onto a Downtown Bus Wearing Prison Garb
On August 26, 2024, Bennett walked away from a prison crew working near the corner of Red Cherry Court SE and SE 46th Place in Salem. He jumped onto a local Salem bus wearing prison garb – blue jeans, a blue shirt, and an orange vest.
On Sunday, after responding to a stolen car report, Portland police saw Bennett sitting in a car in Lents Park. Police then boxed in the vehicle and arrested Bennett at about 9.40 a.m., according to Terri Wallo Strauss, a Portland Police Bureau spokesperson.
Bennett, aka Travis John Perry, is now facing charges of second-degree escape, first-degree burglary, identity theft, and the unauthorized use of a vehicle.
According to the Oregon Department of Corrections (DOC), walk-aways from prison crews are the most common forms of escape in Oregon. The DOC confirms that at least 14 prisoners have escaped by walking away from work crews over the last five years.