‘Dangerous’ Oregon State Hospital escapee recaptured
An Oregon State Hospital psychiatric patient who escaped from custody on Thursday was arrested Friday by a Philomath police officer who had stopped a car and recognized him from past contacts, officials said.
Philomath police arrested Jeffrey W. Appelt, 28, off Oregon Highway 34 near Philomath around 11:45 a.m., officials said.
Appelt was a passenger in a car that was stopped, and the officer recognized him from past contacts, officials said.
Appelt was arrested on a warrant for unauthorized departure and lodged in the Benton County Jail.
Earlier Friday, officials released information about the escape and asked the public to contact police if they see him.
Anyone seeing Appelt was advised to not approach hin, but to instead call 911 or Oregon State Police.
Appelt was “considered to be a danger to others and is accused of unauthorized departure,” the Oregon Health Authority reported.
Appelt was admitted to Oregon State Hospital Oct. 3, as a civil commitment from Linn County. He was transferred to the hospital from the Oregon Department of Corrections after being convicted of felony possession of a firearm and other firearms-related crimes.
He had last been seen at Salem Hospital at about 3:30 p.m. Thursday. Two Oregon State Hospital staff members assigned to Appelt lost sight of him when he visited a restroom and did not return.
Hospital officials, who reported the missing patient to state and local law enforcement agencies, described Appelt as 6 feet tall and 272 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. When last seen, he was wearing a blue sweatshirt, khaki shorts and black and yellow Salomon sneakers.
