Inmate Escapes Police Custody Near Savannah Airport

SAVANNAH, GA — Authorities are searching for a man they say is wanted in Minnesota but escaped police custody Thursday near a Savannah airport during an extradition.

The Bulloch County Sheriff's Office said Joseph H. Baynes, 35, was in the Bulloch County Jail on unknown charges but is wanted in Dakota County, Minnesota, on felony stalking charges.

Local authorities said Baynes signed a waiver of extradition and was returning to Minnesota to answer charges in Dakota County. Baynes was turned over to authorities with the Dakota County Sheriff's Office at the Bulloch County Jail.

Bulloch County said Baynes escaped while at the Savannah/Hilton Head Airport, but in a news release Friday, Dakota County said Baynes escaped custody around 11:45 a.m. on the way to the airport.

"At no time were there any law-enforcement officials from the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office involved in the incident at the airport. Hope this clarifies that Baynes did not escape custody of the Bulloch County Sheriff's Office," Bulloch County authorities said in a Facebook post Thursday.

Local, state and federal authorities searched for Baynes in a heavily wooded area on airport property for several hours but failed to locate him, Dakota County said.

Authorities continued working Friday to bring Baynes into custody. Deputies were not injured, and Baynes was unarmed at the time of his escape, Dakota County said.

"Details surrounding how he escaped custody remains under investigation, and no further information can be released," Dakota County said in the news release.