Prison escapee found

Christopher Critchfield, an escapee from Idaho Correctional Institution-Orofino work crew, was captured by a U.S. Forest Service officer in Oregon on Aug. 5 and was being held at the Gold Beach, OR jail, according to Idaho Department of Corrections.

Critchfield was arrested when the officer pulled his car over because the driver was not wearing a seatbelt. The escapee provided a false name to the officer and now faces new charges in Oregon including identify theft, IDC said.

The Department of Correction expressed appreciation to the Forest Service in Oregon, Coeur d'Alene Police and Nez Perce County for their efforts in helping find this offender.

Critchfield was doing maintenance at the Tamany Alternative School when the crew supervisor called for a routine check the inmate was no longer on the job. The inmate was serving time for possession of a controlled substance and illegal possession of a weapon. He was convicted out of Kootenai County, according to IDC.