Escaped NH inmate quickly captured

MANCHESTER, Mass. — An inmate was quickly captured after escaping the Hillsborough County House of Correction Thursday morning.

Police say inmate Kevin Gearhart was on his way to a court appearance when he slipped away from deputies in the jail sallyport.

Police said that after escaping, Gearhart attempted to get into a car parked at RSP Automotive at 8 Valley St. The owner was dropping off the vehicle for service when she saw a man dressed in an orange inmate jumpsuit peer into the vehicle. Police said Gearhart was scared off, running westerly toward Elm Street.
Police say Gearhart ran to a gas station on the next street - and hopped into a car at pump number four.

Manager Elyas Mughal says a female customer came in screaming for help after seeing Gearhart behind the wheel.

"She came in and said, 'there is a thief in my car'...yeah she was scared, she was scared,"  Mughal told FOX25.

Mughal said Gearhart  got scared and ran off.

An officer was driving south on Elm Street when a citizen waved at him, and then pointed to a man wearing an orange jumpsuit, with "Hillsborough County House of Correction" printed on it.

Police said the inmate immediately fled into the woods behind Prime Gas, going toward Firestone Tire Center.

Several officers chased him and quickly apprehended the man in the Market Basket parking lot.

Gearhart was still in his ankle and belt shackles at the time of his capture. He had been serving time, police say, for attempting to steal cars.

Gearhart is now back at the Hillsborough County House of Correction and will face new charges of escape and attempted theft.

Cox Media Group