8 accused of helping man who escaped from jail in garbage can

SPRINGFIELD, Ore. -- Thomas Grimes had some help hiding from the law, according to police.

Springfield officers have arrested five people on hindering prosecution charges.

Officials say that on Tuesday, they went to five different residences, and made all of the arrests without incident.

Police say they arrested the following people:

Ronald Stuart Arand, 47 Lori Ann Hull, 65 Linda Kay Robinson, 65 Gary Everett Martin, 34 Lisa Ann Henderson, 38

Officials say Henderson is Grimes' sister, and the only relative in the group.

Officers say they made the arrests for assisting Grimes by providing shelter and money, as well as letting him know when the police were looking for him.

Hindering prosecution is a Class C Felony.

Three others found camping with Grimes on July 12 were cited for hindering prosecution that day but not booked at the time. Police identified them as Leah Rebekah Veach, 35; Gary Eugene Flygare, 44; and Larry James Keys, 57.

Back on June 15, at around 6 a.m., Grimes was discovered missing from the Douglas County Jail by deputies.

After an investigation, it was found that Grimes made his jailbreak by hiding in a garbage can, which was hauled out of the jail.

He managed to elude capture for a month, even after being spotted by police on a few different occasions.

No stranger to the law

Grimes was being held in Douglas County on several warrants charging him with Attempt to Elude, Unauthorized Use of a Vehicle, Reckless Driving, Recklessly Endangering and Possession of a Stolen Vehicle.

Grimes was also being held on a warrant out of Lane County and a Lane County Parole Board hold.

In December 2009, Grimes took off in a stolen car from Springfield, barreling head-on into traffic as deputies tried to take him into custody on a warrant, the sheriff's office said.

Authorities in Douglas County took Grimes into custody in January of this year after another car chase when police in Sutherlin attempted to stop a car for a minor traffic violation. Instead of pulling over, the driver - later identified as Grimes - sped off, reaching speeds over 100 miles an hour.

Officers followed the car into Oakland, where the driver ditched the vehicle and ran on foot.

Sergeant Joseph Felix of the Sutherlin Police Department said officers were looking for the suspect when he noticed the skirting on a mobile home unit was displaced.

"I could smell him before I could see him," Felix told KPIC News in January.

Felix said the smell of alcohol was very strong, and he eventually located Grimes underneath the mobile home and took him into custody.

Finally captured

After an incident where Springfield police found Grimes stealing a car, he managed to escape again, but it would be the last time.

Grimes allegedly tried to run down a cop while driving away in a stolen car, and the officer fired at him.

Police found Grimes at a camp site in the Fall Creek area just before 7 a.m. on July 18.

"It looked like he tore a hole through the back of his tent, he was barefoot, in his boxers, running through the forest," said Springfield Police Officer Allan Amundson. "So I think we did surprise him."

He ran from a tent towards the woods. Police said they found pocket knives in the tent, but no firearms.

Officers caught up to Grimes after the wanted man ran about a football field's length into the woods, with K9 Tjenco close behind.

"Tjenco has been taught to guard and bark...So if the person’s not posing a threat to us, he’s just supposed to stay with him and bark and guard him for us," said Kendrick.

Grimes was treated for minor injuries.

Grimes appeared in a Douglas County courtroom on Friday, and pleaded not guilty to all of the charges against him.

>>>See photos of Grimes in court

His trial is scheduled to begin on October 9.