An inmate who escaped from a prison in Philadelphia was arrested Friday after he was caught leaving Planet Fitness, CBS Philadelphia reported.
Isaiah Tilghman, 33, was caught by U.S. Marshals in a Philadelphia neighborhood, ending a weeks-long tense search. Tilghman broke out of Blair County Prison Dec 3, 2023, while facing drug charges and parole violations, according to CBS Philadelphia. Agents from the Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crimes Fugitive Task Force captured the inmate as he left the gym. Earlier in the week, they had tracked him to Kensington and followed him to a Planet Fitness.
An escaped prisoner from western Pennsylvania was arrested in Philadelphia on Friday, according to U.S. Marshals. https://t.co/KmZe9R2LJ6
— CBS Philadelphia (@CBSPhiladelphia) March 22, 2024
“This arrest was a result of Fugitive Task Forces in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, diligently working together, to capture a dangerous escapee,” Robert Clark, supervisory deputy U.S. Marshal for the Eastern Pennsylvania Fugitive Task Force, said, CBS Philadelphia reported. “The Marshals Service is unequivocally the best in the business at finding people who do not wish to be found and this arrest reinforces that fact.” (RELATED: Inmate, Accomplice Caught After Brazen Prison Escape, Authorities Say)
After his arrest, Tilghman is in custody in Philadelphia, set to be transferred to Blair County to face his charges. His arrest was not the only breakthrough in the case. Three days following the breakout, U.S. Marshals reported that their Philadelphia agents found a red Ford F-150 resembling the one Tilghman is accused of stealing. They suspect that Tilghman changed the vehicle’s license plates Dec 5, according to CBS Philadelphia. The Marshals seized the red truck and identified it by its stolen license plate Dec. 15.