Captured Manatee County inmate has Island ties
Manatee County Sheriff's Office deputies searched since Sunday for an inmate who took off from the work farm at the Manatee County Jail.
At 2:15 Tuesday, he was captured by Tampa police at a gas station on Nebraska Avenue in Tampa while seeking a ride back to Manatee County.
At approximately 8:30 a.m., James Greig, 39, whose last known address was Oak Avenue in Anna Maria, left the farm work area that is located behind the jail.
Greig then broke into an unoccupied residence in the 4900 block of Buckeye Road, where he apparently stole some clothes and a Ruger handgun and called for a taxi. The cab driver apparently mentioned that deputies were in the area, and Greig left the cab where it picked him up. He had allegedly asked for a ride to the beach.
Deputies tracked Greig from the taxi to a swampy area where an intense search ensued.
The search team included K9s, airboats, a helicopter and teams from Hillsborough County.
At about 4:45 p.m., however, the search in the swampy area was called off.
Detectives and the Violent Crimes Task Force picked up from there, hoping to find him at an ex-girlfriend's house or place of employment, or possibly attempting to contact a relative. Greig has family members living in Holmes Beach, where he grew up and attended school, and The Islander learned that police questioned them about Greig's contacts.
Greig was arrested in May and again in June on burglary and violation of probation. Greig has a record of arrests dating back to 1986 and has served time in a Florida prison.
According to the MCSO, Greig will be charged with escape and burglary in connection with Sunday's incidents.
NewsManatee.com publisher Mike Quinn contributed to this story. |
