Manhunt for escaped Monroe prison inmate over
Nov 12, 2012, 5:36 AM | Updated: 10:24 am
Authorities have found escaped inmate Brandon Musto. (Image courtesy Washington Department of Corrections)
(Image courtesy Washington Department of Corrections)
The manhunt for an escaped Monroe prison inmate has ended.
Brandon Musto was captured on a trail near North Bend Sunday night by a King County Sheriff’s K-9 unit.
Police say they were tipped off to his location near Rattlesnake Ridge when he borrowed a hiker’s cell phone about 4:30 p.m. to call his mom. The hiker told police Musto ran into the woods when he saw a car drive into the area.
Dozens of officers had been searching off Interstate 90 in the area since Friday.
A K-9 picked up Musto’s scent around 7:00 p.m. Sunday. Musto tried hiding, but couldn’t get away from the K-9 dog. He was arrested and taken to a nearby hospital to be treated for a dog bite to his leg.
Musto was serving time for vehicular assault in Thurston County and was scheduled for release in February.
Musto was just three months away from release when he escaped from the Monroe Correctional facility last Wednesday, apparently by climbing over a 10-foot fence.
Department of Corrections spokesman Chad Lewis says it’s surprising an inmate with only three months left to serve would risk a felony sentence for escape. Musto will now will face new charges and more time in jail. He was booked into Snohomish County Jail Sunday night.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
