Escaped suspect recaptured in Jefferson County

MARTINSBURG, W.Va. — A Hedgesville, W.Va., man who escaped custody by breaking a window of a police vehicle Tuesday night while being taken to the Eastern Regional Jail has been captured, police said.

Jefferson County Sheriff Pete Dougherty said deputies found Robert Phipps, 29, just after noon Wednesday in the Kearneysville area where he had originally been arrested, which is about five miles from the jail.

Dougherty said Phipps was still in handcuffs when deputies located him.

Phipps was originally taken into custody around 7:45 p.m. Tuesday when deputies responded to a report of a suspicious person on Archer Road, west of Leetown, and he ran from police, according to Dougherty.

“After a short foot pursuit, we arrested him,” said Dougherty. “He provided us false information about who he was. We found his real identity was Robert Phipps.”

Dougherty said Phipps was charged with obstructing and fleeing, and was being transported by reserve deputy to the Eastern Regional Jail later that evening when the alleged escape occurred.

“When we got him to the gate at the jail and were waiting to be buzzed in, at that point he kicked the window and rolled out through the broken window and ran off,” said Dougherty.

“Berkeley County Sheriff's Office and the Berkeley County detachment of the West Virginia State Police both arrived on the scene, but Mr. Phipps managed to elude capture at that point.”

Dougherty said that Phipps was being checked out at Jefferson Medical Center around 2:30 p.m. Wednesday.

“He apparently had been out and about all night and still with the handcuffs on,” Dougherty said. “He has a few bumps and bruises, apparently from hiding out and slipping and falling down into a quarry area, and having difficulty getting back out of there.”

Obstructing and fleeing in Berkeley County have been added to his charges, according to the sheriff.

“He'll be heading from there (the medical center) with a couple of folks in tow to make sure he gets safely inside at the Eastern Regional Jail,” Dougherty said.