DATE: Saturday, June 21, 1997               TAG: 9706210324

SECTION: LOCAL                   PAGE: B3   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JUNE ARNEY,STAFF WRITER

DATELINE: CHESAPEAKE                        LENGTH:   49 lines

JAIL ESCAPEE SURRENDERS AFTER TALKING WITH FAMILY

A 24-year-old man who escaped Thursday from the old Chesapeake jail due to a construction flaw, and whose absence went undetected for hours, surrendered Friday after negotiations with his family.

Timothy D. Riddick, also known as Terrance Riddick, was reported missing about 7:30 p.m. Thursday from part of the old jail next to an area now being demolished and refurbished, said Investigator John M. Downs, a Chesapeake sheriff's spokesman.

After negotiations, Riddick agreed to meet members of the Chesapeake Sheriff's Department fugitive squad in the parking lot of a fast-food restaurant on Battlefield Boulevard, Downs said. He was taken into custody about 2:45 p.m. Friday.

Riddick was not considered a threat to the community because he did not have a history of violent offenses, Downs said.

The inmate, who arrived Wednesday at the Chesapeake jail, was being held pending trial for petty larceny, failure to appear, obstruction of justice and obtaining money under false pretense. He also was being held for a probation violation in North Carolina. The original charge in the North Carolina case was forgery and uttering.

Riddick's brief taste of freedom cost him an additional two felony charges: escape and destruction of property, Downs said. Riddick's home address was not available. He has given addresses in Chesapeake and North Carolina, authorities said.

A construction flaw in the original building allowed Riddick to escape, Downs said. The necessary repairs have been made to correct the problem, he said. For security reasons, he declined to provide details.

Human error also played into the escape, Downs said. Although Riddick apparently escaped during the afternoon, his absence was not noted until 7:30 p.m.

Inmates are checked twice an hour and head counts done twice a shift, but Riddick's absence was overlooked, Downs said.

``We take this very seriously,'' he said.

Authorities continue to investigate. Downs said he hoped to have more information in a week.

There has not been an escape from the Chesapeake jail for at least 25 years, Downs said.

Authorities expect to move inmates into a new jail in a couple of months. ILLUSTRATION: Photo

Timothy D. Riddick KEYWORDS: ESCAPED PRISONER ARREST SURRENDER

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