Channel 4 viewers help capture inmate

Escaped inmate captured in St. Augustine

ST. AUSUSTINE, Fla. – Two Channel 4 viewers helped police capture an inmate who escaped from the Florida State Prison in Raiford.

Dean Adams, 54, broke away from a work detail at the Florida State Prison in Raiford about 6 p.m. Saturday. Investigators said he took a prison vehicle to make his escape.

He was discovered at a motel with the vehicle in St. Augustine at about 2 p.m. Sunday.

Chris Anderson and Ellen Meharg noticed a white pickup truck taking up a couple of parking spaces at a motel that reminded them of a report they had seen the day before on Channel 4.

"We started talking about the article that we had seen," said Anderson.

"I said, 'Yeah, it's probably the escaped convict,'" said Meharg. "We went and check the tag and looked at the truck, the tag number, and it really was the truck."

They then called the police.

"They all just kinda came on in, in a big swoop," said Anderson.

"He was in the Merida Motel, one of the upstairs, second floor rooms, and when we saw the deputies, they went up the stairs and when they turned the corner, they all pulled out their guns and that's what that brought concern to us that we might have been in a dangerous situation," said Meharg.

Adams was arrested without incident.

"They wanted to know -- how did we know? How'd we know about the man? The truck? And, we just told them, 'Channel 4 news,'" said Meharg.

Adams had been in jail since 1997 after he was convicted of burglary and robbery in St. Johns and Brevard Counties.

He's expected to face charges of escaping prison.

St. Augustine police and the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office assisted in the capture of the suspect.