A manhunt is underway in Union Parish for three state prisoners who escaped from their Ouachita Parish work-release program in Ouachita Parish early Wednesday morning.
According to Union Sheriff Dusty Gates said the manhunt is concentrated in the Linville area in the eastern area of the parish.
OPSO public information officer Glenn Springfield identified the escapees as Nicholas Millien, 23, 5’ 7” tall, 180 pounds with brown hair and eyes; Alex Tipton, 26, 5’ 6” tall, 145 pounds with brown hair and blue eyes; and James Aaron Stephenson, 35, 5’ 8” tall with black hair and green eyes.
Springfield said the trio walked off their assignments about 5:45 a.m.
Gates said UPSO received word about 11 a.m. that the trio was at a trailer park off La. Hwy. 825 (Ward Chapel Road) and driving a white SUV vehicle. He said a deputy spotted the vehicle on that highway and gave chase at a high rate of speed.
The sheriff said when the vehicle reached Linville-Fire Tower Road, it slowed down and two people got out a ran into a wooded area.
The chase of the vehicle continued at speeds described by the sheriff at 100 mph down several parish roads until it hit a dead end at Harold Ward Road. Gates said the car crashed at the dead end into a cutover area and burned. The North Union Fire District was called out to extinguish the flames.
Gates said two more people ran from the wreck and disappeared into the wooded area.
State police, state Wildlife and Fisheries agents, Wade Correctional Center tracking units and Marion police are helping in the search.
Gates said one of the two people who ran from the vehicle at Linville-Fire Tower Road was apprehended. He identified her as Jamie Smith Owen, 32. She has been booked into the Union Parish Detention Center at Farmerville for being an accessory after the fact. No bond has been set.
