Pima County inmate walks away from work crew, at large

PHOENIX — A Pima County inmate walked away from a work crew Sunday near Tucson and has yet to be retaken into custody.

Deputy Tracy Suitt of the Pima County Sheriff’s Department said 30-year-old Laura Rios was a member of a crew of female inmates who were working near a county animal care center when Rios disappeared around 1 p.m.

Suitt said witnesses later saw Rios get into an unknown vehicle, which drove away from the scene.

“It appears that someone else was driving the vehicle,” the deputy said, adding that authorities do not have a description of the driver or the car.

Suitt said PCSD deputies and Tucson police officers conducted a search for the woman Sunday, but were unable to locate her.

The PCSD spokesman said the department’s Fugitive Invesigative Strike Team has taken over the search.

Rios was serving a sentence for a probation violation related to trafficking in stolen property. Suitt said she was serving time in the minimum security annex of the Pima County Adult Detention Complex.

Suitt added that the escaped inmate is not considered armed and dangerous at this time, but that if anyone spots her, they should call 9-1-1 and let authorities know.

Inmate work crews have been working at Pima Animal Care Center since November
2014, assisting with cleaning of the facilities.

KTAR News’ Jeremy Foster and The Associated Press contributed to this report.