Local News on WXHC.com is brought to you by:
Tompkins Jail inmate caught after being on the lam for less than 24 hours
Original story: The Tompkins Sheriff’s Office reports last evening at 6:46 pm they had a jail inmate escape during a work detail.
Police in Tompkins county are continuing their search for Jeffrey E. Cornell, age 37.
He was serving a sentence for Driving While Intoxicated, with additional charges pending, and was working as a trustee at the jail. Trustees are inmates that have been screened and deemed eligible for special work details.
He was being escorted outside the jail by a Corrections Officer to take the trash to the dumpster when he ran off on foot in the direction of Warren Road.
He is described as a white male, approximately 5’10”, 230 lbs., with brown hair and a receding hairline, with a large goatee and mustache, and blue eyes. He was wearing tan pants, a white t-shirt, and a gray sweatshirt.
A police search is currently underway. The Ithaca Police Department, Cayuga Heights Police, and the New York State Police are assisting.
The last witness sighting of him was within the area of Queen Street.
A warrant has been obtained for the charge of Escape in the Second Degree, a Class E Felony. An investigation into the incident will be conducted in conjunction with the NYS Commission of Correction.
Anyone with information as to the whereabouts of Cornell is asked to call the 911 Center at (607) 274-2444 or the Tompkins County Sheriff’s Office at (607) 257-1345.
