A local parolee, arrested for a residential burglary, escaped police custody Wednesday morning, July 25, and was later apprehended after an hour-long search where he was found hiding in the neighborhood near the Oakdale Police Station.

Joshua Wayne Wiggins, 23, was identified by an Oakdale Police investigation as the suspect from a late-night July 24 residential burglary from the 400 block of West G Street.

The following morning police units were called to the area of West H Street regarding a subject going through recycling bins. Based on the description of the subject, police units detained Wiggins one block away on Yosemite Avenue and later arrested him.

While transporting Wiggins to the police station for processing, Wiggins slipped out of the handcuffs and fled from the police vehicle when he was being let out of the car.

More than six officers of the department set up a perimeter surrounding the area where Wiggins was last seen as other officers went yard-to-yard searching for him.

According to Oakdale Police Detective Brian Shimmel, as police personnel were discussing their next move, they received a call from a resident in the 300 block of North Second Avenue of a “strange man” in the back yard.

Police units focused their dragnet to that area and found Wiggins in the garage of 318 N. Second Ave. where he was taken into custody without incident.

For the entire story, look to the August 1 edition of The Leader.