Escaped Inmate Rearrested In Less Than 24 Hours: Sheriff

PORTLAND, OR — A Multnomah County Sheriff's Office inmate was rearrested less than 24 hours after he walked away from an inmate work crew in downtown Portland over the weekend.

Joshua Sean Purdue, 34, was charged with escape and re-lodged at Multnomah County Jail Sunday morning. He was previously being held on a burglary charge from earlier in April — which followed an arrest for unauthorized use of a motor vehicle in December 2017 and a conviction in November 2017 for earlier burglary and robbery charges in July 2017.

Purdue's criminal history in Oregon actually spans the past 18 years and ranges across five different counties, according to court records. His charges vary from possession of meth and heroin to theft and burglaries.

To earn his most recent charge, Purdue reportedly walked away from the MCSO work crew that was stationed near Southwest 12th Avenue and Southwest Morrison Street just before 3:30 p.m. April 28.

Deputies found Purdue around 9:30 a.m. April 29 about 8 miles away near Northeast 60th Avenue and Northeast Prescott Street.

Purdue was reportedly serving a 90-day sentence for the more recent burglary charge and was expected to be released in July.

It is unclear how his escape will alter that sentence.

Image via Multnomah County Sheriff's Office