Escaped inmate arrested in Lexington County after search leads to school lockdowns
An man who escaped from a South Carolina jail a week ago has been arrested in Gaston after a manhunt briefly caused some schools in Lexington County to go into lockdown.
Shaun Wayne Wiles was arrested around 1:15 p.m. at a residence on Sharon Acres Lane, according to the U.S. Marshals Service. Wiles was apprehended after a tip Friday morning led to an “extensive search of the area,” according to a statement released by the Marshals Service.
There were no injuries during the arrest, said a spokesperson from the Marshals Service.
Wiles, 43, escaped from the Clarendon County Detention Center on Nov. 10.
WIS reported that Forts Pond Elementary, Pelion Elementary, Pelion Middle, and Pelion High School were placed on lockdown as a precautionary measure Friday during the search.
The arrest was a combined effort by SLED, the Marshals Service, Lexington County Sheriff’s Office, South Carolina Highway Patrol, South Carolina State Transport Police and the FBI.
SLED deployed K9 units and helicopters to the area, according to the agency.
These agencies “worked together relentlessly” to capture Wiles, said Karen Thomas, acting U.S. Marshal for South Carolina.
Wiles was being held at the jail on a drug charge, according to the Marshals Service. The Clarendon County Sheriff’s Office has said it is investigating how Wiles escaped.
This story was originally published November 18, 2022 at 1:50 PM.