By Isobel van Hagen - NBC News
The search for two Tennessee inmates who escaped from prison, kidnapped a Kentucky highway department employee and stole at least two vehicles continued Sunday morning.
Robert Brown and Christopher Osteen escaped Friday morning from the Northwest Correctional Complex in Lake County, Tennessee, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation.
Brown, 36, is serving
an 18-year sentence for an aggravated rape
and Osteen, 34, is serving
an eight-year sentence for robbery, according to authorities.
Escaped prisoners must be armed and must be considered dangerous, the state police agency said.
Following his escape from the minimum security prison, an employee of the Fulton County, Kentucky, Department of Highways, was abducted from a boat ramp on the Mississippi River at approximately 9:15 a.m. local time (10:15 a.m. East), the Henry County, Tennessee, Sheriff's Office reported on its Facebook page.
The employee, who was blindfolded, and his department van were later found in Henry County
, according to the Sheriff's office.
On Saturday, around 2:30 a.m. (local time), authorities found a Henry County resident who had been tied up in his home by fugitives at approximately 10:30 a.m. the day before.
Although the man is now safe, inmates stole his 2009 red Chevrolet Silverado extended cab pickup, according to the sheriff's office.
As the vehicle has not yet been found, authorities asked residents of the area who have cameras to check the truck, and to
"be alert and be cautious."
Kentucky State Police are continuing their search, advising residents in the far west of the state to "keep an eye on their friends and relatives" and report any suspicious activity after inmates committed robberies and thefts in the area.
With information from AP.