An inmate who escaped in South Carolina 40 years ago was arrested in Delaware this week.
Jose Romero, 63, was arrested in Dover (Delaware) on December 28 on charges of public intoxication and raid on a market, according to local police.
He initially identified himself as Arnaldo Figueroa, and had a state ID with that name, but two days later the Delaware State Identification Office said his fingerprints belonged to an inmate wanted by South Carolina on a charge of escape from four decades ago. Thus, Romero was arrested again on New Year's Day.
https://twitter.com/wcnc/status/1212810805894406145
The South Carolina Department of Corrections said Romero, who had been sentenced to 18 years for armed robbery, escaped from the Anderson County military prison on December 13, 1979.
Romero was part of a brigade job at the time of his escape and was detained in a building that was used to house inmates assigned to work in the county, said WDRE of Delaware, an NBC affiliate.
He is being held and awaiting extradition to South Carolina, police said.
Corrections department officials in that state said that once Romero returns, he will be asked to complete the remainder of his initial sentence, approximately seven years, as well as any additional time for the leak, according to WDRE.
