Prison Escapee Captured in Oconee

Update:

Ricky Carroll Mathis is back behind bars in Oconee County, a day after he walked away from work detail in Monroe while in the custody of the Walton County Sheriff's Office on a probation violation.

The Oconee County Sheriff's Office confirmed Mathis' capture in the area of Rogers Road and Lane Creek Road in Oconee late Saturday. 

Chief Deputy Lee Weems attributes Mathis' arrest to the hard work of Oconee deputies. 

In addition to the charge of probation violation in Walton and aggravated battery, battery, cruelty to children, and criminal damage to property he was already facing in Oconee, Mathis has been charged by Walton authorities with escape, Weems said on Sunday.  At this point Oconee has not filed any new charges against  him, he said.

Original Story:

After working all night trying to locate the escaped prisoner, Walton County Chief Deputy Bruce Wright said Ricky Carroll Mathis remained on the lam Saturday morning. Mathis was in the custody of the Walton County Sheriff’s Office on a probation violation when he simply walked away from a work detail , Wright said.

“He was on the work detail at the Georgia State Patrol offices in Walton County when, even though he was on trustee status, he chose to just walk away,” Wright said, adding, “He bonded out on  in Oconee County when he was picked up by Walton County for a probation violation on charges here.” Oconee authorities confirmed Walton County had picked up Mathis from the Oconee County Jail.

Wright said he wasn’t sure what the probation violation was but it was likely for what is considered a technical violation of the terms of his probation.

“It could have been for not reporting to his probation officer in Walton County or it could have been that his arrest in Oconee County violated the terms of his probation,” Wright said. 

Oconee deputies arrested Mathis in April on charges of aggravated battery, battery, cruelty to children, and criminal damage to property.

Because Mathis had previously lived at a 2900 block residence on Highway 78 in Bogart, the put out an alert on Friday.

Authorities have said Mathis should be considered dangerous, and anyone with information about his whereabouts should call 911.