Lockaby
Peachtree – A Clay County inmate who escaped a work crew last week was found in Cherokee County after a two-day search.
Roy Edward Lockaby Jr., 25, was reportedly attempting to bathe in a river around 4 p.m. Thursday when a citizen who recognized his description from social media reports called law enforcement authorities..
“He was standing in the river,” Cherokee County sheriff’s Lt. Tiffany Holland said, adding that Lockaby responded when a deputy called his name. “He waded across the river to where the deputy was standing and was taken into custody.”
Lockaby was part of an inmate crew picking up trash near the Hayesville Post Office around 4:30 p.m. April 27, when he reportedly stole a green Ford truck. The owner of the vehicle told officials he peered out the post office window and saw Lockaby, still in an orange jail uniform, leaving the parking area with his truck.
The truck owner told authorities he left his keys, personal firearm, cash and identification in the vehicle, which is why authorities issued an alert informing citizens that Lockaby could be armed and dangerous.
“People who escape from jail don’t want to be there,” Holland said. “If they have a weapon on them and have already shown that they will do what it takes to get out of jail, you have to assume they will do what it takes not to go back to jail. That’s why we say they could be armed and dangerous.”
Since Lockaby is from Cherokee County, authorities deduced that he would return home, and deputies found the stolen truck in Martins Creek a short time after he escaped the work detail. The gun remains missing.
While searching the area where he left the truck, officials found Lockaby in a house, but he evaded capture by fleeing into the woods. Deputies searched for him until it became too dark, and Lockaby remained on the run for another day and a half.
Lockaby was being held in the Clay County Detention Center on a probation violation stemming from burglary charges in Cherokee County. He has now been charged with felony escape from jail, larceny of a firearm and motor vehicle theft.