Escaped bank robbery suspect back in custody

A man who fled the Kershaw County jail Wednesday afternoon, wearing only plaid boxer shorts, was back in custody about 3 1/2 hours later.

Yancy Wilson, 21, of Elgin, was taken into custody about 7 pm, more than 3 hours after he slipped out of the Kershaw County Detention Center where he had been charged along with another man in the June 23 armed robbery of the Sandhills Bank in Bethune.

Shortly after the escape, Wilson was spotted by a civilian trying to flag down a ride near the detention center, Kershaw County sheriff Jim Matthews said.

At some point, Wilson called his parents. They picked him up and were on their way back to the jail when their vehicle was stopped by a Kershaw County deputy. The deputy took took Wilson into custody when told the fugitive was in the vehicle.

How Wilson was able to escape the detention center will be the subject of an investigation, Matthews said.

Wilson recently was released from prison after serving time for strong armed robbery, the Sheriff’s Department said.

This story was originally published July 1, 2015 at 7:17 PM.