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Investigators are asking people in southern Minnesota to review their security camera video for anything suspicious, after a man escaped from the Watonwan County Jail in St. James, Minn., just before 7 p.m. Monday.

Leonardo Lopez Jr., 36, was convicted in 2005 at age 18 of third-degree criminal sexual conduct involving a victim who was more than two years younger.

Court records show that Lopez was charged in November 2022 with failing to update his address on the state’s sex offender registry. He also allegedly ran from St. James police on August 8 when an officer tried to arrest him on an outstanding warrant.

Slater said no one was injured when Lopez escaped. 

“He was being transferred from a different location in the jail, at which time he was able to get access to an outside door, and he compromised the lock and was able to get outside,” said Watonwan County Chief Deputy Mark Slater.

The Watonwan County Sheriff’s Office said deputies searched several areas in St. James with officers from the St. James, Madelia and New Ulm police departments.

Slater advised anyone who sees Lopez or knows of his location to call 911 and to avoid approaching him.

Minnesota News

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Investigators are asking people in southern Minnesota to review their security camera video for anything suspicious after a sex offender escaped from the Watonwan County Jail in St. James, Minn., just before 7 p.m. Monday. Leonardo Lopez Jr., 36, had been jailed after allegedly failing to update his address on the state’s predatory offender registry.

Sex offender escapes from southern Minnesota jail

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