Columbus jailbreak: Who are the four inmates on the run after escape?

May 26, 2025 12:12 AM IST

Authorities search for four escapees from a Columbus facility, all with extensive criminal histories.

Authorities are on the lookout for four men who recently escaped from a minimum-security facility located on Columbus’ southeast side near Frebis Avenue. The search is underway as officials work to safely apprehend the escapees.

Authorities seek four escapees from a minimum-security facility in Columbus after they broke a window and climbed a fence. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

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The four escaped men Frebis Avenue facility were identified

The four escapees have been identified through court documents released on Friday as Nikko Burton, Jeremy Bowen, Mark Long, and Michael Norton. According to these documents, the men managed to break a window to make their initial exit from the minimum-security facility. After breaking out, they climbed over a wire fence surrounding the property before fleeing on foot toward Frebis Avenue.

Bowen was described to be wearing a yellow shirt and blue pants, while the remaining three men were wearing gray hoodies and blue pants, as reported by ABC6. The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office revealed that they were first alerted about the escape at approximately9:20 p.m. on Thursday.

While there is also a video of the men escaping the facility, investigators are refraining from sharing it as it is currently part of the investigation.

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What were the charges against the four escaped men?

Investigators have uncovered that all four escapees have extensive criminal histories spanning several years. Mark Long was serving time for a theft conviction, while Nikko Burton had been incarcerated for violating probation. Michael Norton and Jeremy Bowen were both participating in the Community-Based Correctional Facility (CBCF) program due to previous parole violations.

Security expert Tony Casper made a remark on the rarity of such an event in Franklin County. He said, “It’s very unusual to happen in Franklin County, we have not had a jail break like this in a very long time.” He added, “To see it happen in a minimum-security facility, that’s where it’s going to happen.”