Man Who Escaped From Courtroom Trial Captured In Florida

The man who escaped from a North Carolina courtroom last month has been captured in another state, WRAL reports.

Deonta Earl Bridgers was on trial in Wilson County on April 13 for attempted murder when the court took a break for lunch. When it was time to return, the 31-year-old defendant, who had been on house arrest and wasn't in custody, was nowhere to be seen.

Wilson County Sheriff's Office Chief of Staff Wanda Samuel said a deputy received an alert from Bridgers' electronic monitoring device that warned of tampering. After a search, they found the device in a "dilapidated house" but couldn't locate Bridgers.

Ultimately the trial concluded without the defendant present, with the jury finding him guilty on two counts of attempted murder in connection to a 2019 shooting that left two people injured.

After weeks on the run, Bridgers was apprehended in Jacksonville, Florida, and arrested on a fugitive warrant, authorities announced Friday (May 7). According to WRAL, it is unclear when he will be returned to North Carolina.

A similar incident occurred in 2015 when Devon Shamark Crooms disappeared mid-trial during his lunch break. He was found seven months later, but while he was gone, a jury had found him guilty for his role in a fatal 2011 shooting.

Photo: Getty Images


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