Potosi Woman Escapes Police Custody After Slipping Out of Patrol Car

Potosi, Mo. (KFMO) - A wanted woman in Missouri managed to escape police custody after slipping out of a locked patrol car, despite being handcuffed behind her back, according to court records.

35-year-old Charley Michelle Blair, of Potosi, was arrested Saturday at a tobacco shop in the 400 block of East High Street on a forgery warrant from Washington County.

Due to the officer’s K9 unit vehicle lacking a prisoner transport cage, Blair was placed in the front seat of the patrol car. The officer briefly stepped away to return her keys to the business where she was arrested. When he returned, Blair had freed herself from the vehicle and fled on foot.

A multi-agency search involving three Potosi police units and five Washington County Sheriff’s deputies lasted approximately 30 minutes. Officers eventually found Blair in the upstairs hallway of a multi-unit residential building after initially searching the basement. Still handcuffed when located, Blair now faces additional charges, including burglary for unlawfully entering the residence and escaping custody.

Authorities noted that the search for Blair delayed law enforcement response times for other calls in Potosi and Washington County.