Inmate escapes Chisago Co Jail, recaptured within hours

CENTER CITY, Minn. (FOX 9) - A Chisago County Jail inmate awaiting trial on sexual assault charges escaped from custody early Thursday morning and was rearrested just hours later.

Inmate escaped from custody 

What we know:

The Chisago County Sheriff’s Office said a 46-year-old inmate escaped from the jail while under supervised trash duty. The Emergency Communication Center was alerted to the incident around 1:30 a.m., prompting a coordinated response from multiple law enforcement agencies. 

Law enforcement found the escapee around 3:11 a.m. about a mile from the jail. He was returned to the facility without incident, according to the sheriff’s office. 

Dig deeper:

The inmate, identified as Donald Edmond Warner, was in custody on a $1.5 million bond while awaiting trial for an alleged 2010 sexual assault and attempted sexual assault in 2017. Warner was arrested in 2023 after law enforcement recovered a discarded cigarette butt, which matched DNA evidence in the two cases, court records claim. 

A grand jury indicted Warner on two counts of first-degree criminal sexual conduct in the 2010 case. He faces one count of attempted first-degree criminal sexual conduct in the 2017 case. Court records indicate Warner has two prior convictions for fifth-degree criminal sexual conduct.  

Additional charges related to the escape are expected, according to the sheriff’s office. 

What they're saying:

"The safety and security of our community remains our top priority," the sheriff’s office said in a statement. "An internal review of the incident is underway to determine how the escape occurred and to ensure preventative measures are being implemented to avoid future incidents." 

Authorities did not share details as to how Warner managed to escape during a supervised task or managed to leave the facility grounds.