Local inmate back in custody after escape
Jason Todd Mullen
A local inmate in the county jail is back in custody following his escape in Taylorsville.
On Thursday, January 17, 2019, at approximately 9:00 p.m., inmate Jason Todd Mullen, W/M age 33, of Statesville, was assisting two other inmates, along with a detention officer, in removing trash from the Alexander County Detention Center to be put in the dumpster, stated Alexander County Sheriff Chris Bowman.
Inmate Mullen took off running and crossed Commercial Park Avenue headed toward Catawba Valley Community College. Mullen stole a truck that was parked at Catawba Valley Community College. The truck was left in the parking lot with the keys in the ignition.
Mullen was later located on Highway 90 East, near the solar panel farm in Hiddenite. The stolen truck was located in a muddy field by officers. When officers were approaching the truck, they could hear Mullen trying to get out of the mud by revving the engine. Mullen was unable to get out of the mud with the truck. Mullen exited the truck and ran, leaving the vehicle behind.
The Alexander County Sheriff’s Office K-9 was sent in to assist in the tracking of the inmate, although the K-9 was unable to locate Mullen.
At this point, Iredell County Sheriff’s Office K-9s were asked to respond to the scene, along with Iredell County Sheriff’s Office drone to assist in the search. The Iredell County Sheriff’s Office drone and K-9s were also unable to locate Mullen.
At this time, Iredell County’s bloodhound handler was asked to respond to the scene. The bloodhound unit responded and was given a scent article. The bloodhound tracked a trail to an abandoned mobile home off of Highway 90 East.
Mullen was located inside the abandoned mobile home and was taken into custody at approximately 4:30 a.m. on Friday, January 18, 2019. The escapee was transported to the Alexander County Detention Center, after which he was taken to a local hospital for medical clearance.
At this time, Mullen is charged with one count of Escape from a Detention Facility and one count of felony Larceny of a Vehicle. Mullen is currently being held under a $100,000 secured bond for the charges currently filed with more charges pending under further investigation. His first appearance date for the charges listed is Tuesday, January 22, 2018 in Alexander County District Court.
Sheriff Bowman would like to thank Sheriff Darren Campbell and the Iredell County Sheriff’s Office for the use of their staff and equipment in the search. Sheriff Bowman would also like to thank Taylorsville Police Department, the North Carolina State Highway Patrol, and North Carolina Probation and Parole for their assistance in the search.
