OKEECHOBEE — A county jail inmate was charged with escape this week after reportedly leaving his assigned area. James Vanover, an outside trustee at the Okeechobee County Jail was arrested May 25 just before 4 p.m.

At approximately 11 a.m., Lt. Shane Snyder noticed Vanover walking southbound outside the perimeter fence. He appeared to be picking up trash, but when Snyder looked inside the white bucket Vanover was using to hold the collected debris, Snyder reportedly found a brown paper bag containing three packs of cigarettes and three cans of chewing tobacco.

Snyder’s report notes the external cameras on the jail property show Vanover leave the east deputy parking lot and cross Northwest Fifth Avenue, entering private property on the east side of Northwest Fifth Avenue. Vanover looked around for something near a group of trees before returning to the jail property.

As a trusty, Vanover signed an agreement outlining rules for inmates assigned to the community work squad. One rule in particular states, “While working outside, you are still considered an incarcerated inmate. The limits of confinement have merely been extended. Being in an unauthorized area or an unauthorized absence from your squad constitutes an escape. You shall not depart from the location in which you were assigned to work, except with the specific authorization of the community work squad commander.”

The charge of escape is a second degree felony. Bond was set at $10,000.