Oregon Prisoner Who Escaped From Court Found Hiding Under Blanket

ROSEBURG, Ore. — An adult in custody, 24-year-old Alexander Matthew Pearson of Reedsport, was returned to custody on Friday shortly after he had fled a Douglas County Circuit Court courtroom following his probation violation hearing that afternoon.

Pearson had been transported from the Douglas County Jail to appear in court for a hearing, but at the end of the hearing, he ran from the courtroom.

A deputy grabbed Pearson before he pulled away and continued his escape out of the courthouse. A group of deputies then gave chase.

The Douglas County Sheriff’s Office (DCSO) initiated a swift and large-scale search. Police received information from the public that Pearson had run toward the homeless encampment known as “The Point.” Several deputies from the patrol and corrections divisions, with assistance from the Roseburg Police Department and Douglas County Parole and Probation, converged on the area and started searching.

Pearson was found hiding under a blanket in a tent 20 minutes later and taken into custody without further incident. He now faces extra charges of Escape II and Resisting Arrest.