Resident distraught after inmates escape

By Amy Lester, NEWS 9

OKLAHOMA CITY -- A woman is going through an emotional roller coaster after a wild morning that included two Department of Corrections' escapees, a stolen car and a police chase.

Both of the inmates are back in custody at the Oklahoma County jail, but their actions early Friday morning have one woman too scared to show her face.

The resident said just before 4 a.m. when she was warming up her car, she decided to go back inside to grab something in her home. When she came out, she said her car was moving. She ran to the car door and opened it the door, but she couldn't stop the men she saw from stealing her car.

Police said the men, Eddie Thompson and Anthony Varela, had escaped from the Oklahoma City Community Correctional Facility, nearly 14 miles away.

"It's a community security facility, so you don't have the secured perimeter, so it is possible for them to walk away from it," said Jerry Massie, who works for the Department of corrections.

Police spotted the men shortly after they stole the woman's car, a car chase started and then the men crashed the car into a brick wall.

"While taking them into custody, officers noticed that each of them had clothing on that had the word ‘inmate' written in large letters across the clothing," Oklahoma City Police Sgt. Gary Knight said.

Unfortunately for the woman, it was her only vehicle, and although it's paid off, she doesn't have any insurance.

One of the inmates was serving time for drug possession and the other for possession of a firearm. Both would have been up for parole within a year. They'll now face a slew of additional charges. The Department of Corrections will now review its procedures to determine how or why the inmates escaped.