DeFuniak Springs, Fla— Walton County Sheriff’s Office is currently assisting U.S. Corrections in the search for two escaped inmates from one of their transport vans early Monday morning.
The privately owned company provides secure prisoner transport services to local, state and federal agencies. One of their transport vans stopped at the Walton County Jail in the early morning hours this morning en route to Leon County.
From the time of their departure from the Walton County Jail to their arrival in Leon County the transport company reported two prisoners, Michael Andrew Rotunno DOB 01/18/1986 and James Thomas Banks DOB 11/23/1987, escaped their custody.
Rotunno has been charged with larceny in a building, and delivering and manufacturing narcotics less than 50 grams. Banks has been charged with unarmed robbery, escape from a felony jail, conspiracy to escape from a felony jail.
Rotunno was being transported from Longview, Texas and Banks was being transported from Orange County, California. Both were set to be dropped off at a facility in Jackson, Minnesota.
Both can be seen in the attached photos wearing plan clothes. Rotunno is currently wearing a cast on his right arm. Banks no longer has hair as seen in his mug shot. Security camera footage from the transport stop at the Walton County Jail shows him with a bald head.
The Walton County Sheriff’s Office is asking citizens of Walton, Holmes, Washington, Calhoun, Jackson, Gadsden, Leon Counties to be diligent as we continue our efforts to locate these two individuals. However, we are encouraging citizens if they see these two men NOT to approach them, but to call 911 immediately.
The school district has been notified at this time. Although there is no confirmation of an exact location where the two may have escaped WCSO is actively looking for these subjects within our county.
(Press release per WCSO. Not edited for form or content.)