Edinburgh suspect who eluded police nearly 2 weeks found guilty of escape

An Edinburgh man who escaped from police last fall has been found guilty after a jury trial.

Dustin A. Evans, 27, remained at large for nearly two weeks before he was arrested in Indianapolis last year. A 12-person jury found him guilty of escape and unlawful possession of a syringe.

The former Franklin resident could receive 18 months to eight-and-a-half years in prison when he’s sentenced next month.

Evans was arrested and taken to the Bartholomew County Jail last year. But jail officials asked that he first be examined at Columbus Regional Hospital because it was believed he had ingested narcotics, Edinburgh Police Chief David Mann said.

After being released from the hospital, Evans told the officer driving him to jail that he was getting sick, and she stopped to let him out of the vehicle. But when she went to put him back in the police car, Evans ran, Mann said.

His getaway resulted in several schools locking their doors and a large-scale search, but Evans remained at large for nearly two weeks. Evans was spotted by police at a Hope convenience store shortly after, but he got away a second time after a pursuit in a Hope subdivision, according to police reports.

On Thanksgiving Day, police issued a statewide advisory describing Evans as armed and dangerous. Three days later he was arrested.

On the day of his escape, Evans had been scheduled to be sentenced in Johnson Superior Court 3 on theft charges.