Female inmate escapes from Clovis jail

CLOVIS — A 25-year-old female inmate overpowered a health-care worker and escaped from the Curry County Adult Detention Center shortly after 9 p.m. Monday, officials said.

Kaitlyn Martinez-Arington remained at large early Tuesday. She was last seen traveling east on foot on Eighth Street, wearing a white T-shirt, yellow pants and socks, according to a news release from Sheriff Wesley Waller.

She is described as 5-foot-6 inches tall, weighing 137 pounds, with brown hair. Waller said she has three tattoos — one on her left wrist that reads "Fearless," a heart on her left arm and a skull on her right arm.

Curry County Manager Lance Pyle said no injuries were reported during the escape and that detention officers knew when it happened, but Pyle provided no additional details. She escaped from the women's facility, which is east of the main jail.

The unidentified health-care worker is employed by Correct Care Solutions, according to Waller's news release. It was not immediately clear if Martinez-Arington was ill when she escaped.

Officials are asking anyone with information on the escapee's location contact the sheriff's office at 575-769-2335. The news release said information can be shared anonymously.

Martinez-Arington had been jailed since May on drug and failure-to-appear charges. Records show she has a long history of criminal accusations, beginning in 2012. Charges have ranged from theft to aggravated assault on a peace officer. She was being held on her latest charges without bond.

Monday's incident marked the third time in less than two months an inmate has escaped from jail officials.

Most notably, three men walked away from the jail on June 15, allegedly with help from a detention officer. Ricky Sena, Victor Apodaca and Aaron Clark were captured a few days later at a Clovis residence. The jailer, Sarina Dodson, was also arrested in connection with their escape.

On July 19, a female inmate ran away from detention officers as she was being escorted back to jail from a court appearance. Leeah Wilkomn, 33, ran about 100 yards before she was recaptured moments later.

The Curry County jail has been the site of multiple escapes — 16 of them between 2002 and 2013, including eight one night in 2008 — but the issues seemed to have been resolved in recent years. Pyle said the June escape was the first at the jail since Mark Gallegos was hired as administrator in January 2016.

County officials are in the process of making $11.6 million worth of improvements to the jail, a result of concerns about the escapes and other security issues.

We will have more information on Monday night's incident as it becomes available.