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U.P. inmate on run for a year is caught in Costa Rica

Posted at 5:02 PM, Jun 11, 2016
and last updated 2016-06-11 17:02:04-04

HOUGHTON, Mich. (AP) — A jail inmate who ran away while being escorted from court in the Upper Peninsula has been captured a year later in Costa Rica.

Houghton County Sheriff Brian McLean tells The Daily Mining Gazette that he’s working with federal authorities to bring John Saatio back to Michigan.

Saatio was facing a charge of home invasion when he dashed into woods while being escorted from the Houghton County courthouse in June 2015. Police believe he stole a car that had the keys inside, drove to Green Bay, Wisconsin, and then disappeared.

McLean says his office had received tips that Saatio likely was in Costa Rica. He says it was just a matter of tracking him down.