By Sharyn L. Decker
Lewis County Sirens news reporter
CHEHALIS – The 25-year-old who stowed himself away beneath a big rig to escape from a deputy last month and was finally apprehended in Centralia, even trying to run after he was handcuffed, was scheduled for his arraignment today.
Lewis County resident Ruben A. Inman is charged with one offense that he allegedly has been trying to avoid since March 3.
[1]Ruben A. Inman
Inman was released from prison in mid-January and placed on community custody.
He reported to the Chehalis office of the state Department of Corrections on March 3 as directed, but when he was ordered to provide a urine sample, he said he couldn’t do it, went to get a drink of water and never came back, according to court documents.
A secretary’s DOC warrant was issued for his arrest, for the felony of escape from community custody. That’s willfully discontinuing making himself available for post-release supervision.
The former Twin Cities resident made headlines after the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office told of an encounter at Gee Cees truck stop near Vader on March 11.
A sheriff’s deputy was following up on a trespassing complaint in the area and located Inman and a female at Gee Cees, but Inman slipped away and vanished.
A truck driver said he’d seen the male crawl under the trailer of semi truck and it left with him still beneath it. Security footage confirmed what happened and when the truck was finally stopped in Arlington, its driver didn’t locate his hitchhiker but did find his cap.
His daring feat was featured on the television show [2] Washingon’s Most Wanted.
On March 15, Inman left a voice mail message with his community corrections saying he wanted to turn himself in. He was upset his escape was on the news and wanted to know why he was getting so much attention for a warrant, according to court papers.
He didn’t leave call back number.
On April 6, law enforcement officers went to a residence at the north end of Centralia to find Inman, and he reportedly fled on foot, and then after he was cuffed, tried again to flee.
He was booked into the Lewis County Jail.
Prosecutors declined to charge Inman with escape for that incident. But, on Tuesday, they filed the escape from community custody charge, for walking away from his supervision appointment. His bail was set at $35,000.
It’s a class C felony with a maximum penalty of five years in prison. For hiding out from his DOC supervisors over a urine test.
The charging documents in his case don’t make mention of what Inman was in prison for, but it couldn’t have been a very long term.
A look into the archives of Lewis County Sirens .com shows two incidents from four years ago, when an individual by the same name attempted to elude officers.
JULY 31, 2012: “A short foot pursuit of an individual wanted in connection with vehicle theft ended with the arrest about 10:20 p.m. yesterday of Ruben A. Inman, 21, of Centralia.”
SEPT. 25, 2012: “A 21-year-old arrested yesterday for a warrant after a foot pursuit in the area of Northwest Prindle Street reportedly kicked out a back window of a patrol vehicle, climbed out and ran away again. “He was again apprehended, put back in the patrol car and then booked into jail.”
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For background, read “News brief: Daring escapee apprehended in Centralia” from Thursday April 7, 2016, here [3]