Community Corner
UPDATE: Police Catch Escaped Convict with Ties to Alexandria
Man walked away from landscaping work this morning.
A fugitive with ties to the Alexandria area was caught Wednesday evening, according to police.
Karan Batra, whose last address prior to going to prison was in Alexandria, escaped from custody while on a work-release assignment at about 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport.
Virginia State Police officials released this statement Wednesday evening:
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"With the assistance of the US Marshals Service, Karan Batra 44, was located in Washington, D.C., and taken into custody without incident at approximately 6:45 p.m. Virginia State Police, Augusta County Sheriff’s Office and Virginia Department of Corrections spent the day conducting extensive ground searches and following up on numerous tips of possible sightings."
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Find out what's happening in Greater Alexandriawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Original post - 2:06 p.m. Wednesday
An inmate with ties to Alexandria has escaped from custody. His last known address before going to prison was on Freemont Drive in Alexandria.
The Virginia State Police and Virginia Department of Corrections (VDOC) are searching for an inmate Wednesday who escaped from custody while on a work-release assignment at about 10 a.m. in Weyers Cave at the Shenandoah Valley Regional Airport.
The inmate was assigned to a VDOC Work Release crew that was landscaping the grounds of the airport.
The male inmate is Karan Batra, 44, described as 5 feet 5 inches in height and who weighs approximately 165 lbs. He has a scar on his nose and a scar from a gunshot wound on his right leg.
Police say he also goes by the names Karan Atra, Freddy Batra, Honey Batra, Rajander Batra, Robert Maylers and Rajan Mohamed.
He was last seen wearing blue jeans and an orange DOC work shirt. His convictions are for non-violent crimes and he does have connections to Northern Virginia, specifically the Alexandria area.
Anyone with information about Batra is asked to immediate dial #77 on a cell phone or 911 to contact State Police. Though the individual is not considered dangerous, he should not be approached.
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