SUMTER COUNTY, S.C. — The Sumter County Sheriff's Office is looking for an escaped inmate - and trying to figure out exactly how he did it.
Early Sunday morning, deputies responded to a report that 32-year-old Lance Michael Alberti escaped from the Sumter County Detention Center the previous night. Deputies soon began searching the area with K-9 units and drones. Preliminary details and discarded items have led deputies to the conclusion that Alberti made it through a wooded area behind the detention center.
On Sunday afternoon, the sheriff's office paused the search for Alberti as new information suggests he has left the area.
"In verifying certain facts, we fully believed the residents in the immediate area were not in any danger," Sheriff Anthony Dennis said. "We are coordinating with other agencies and believe that he will be back in custody soon."
Sheriff Dennis also commended his officers for their hard work trying to find him.
Alberti initially used a false name when he was arrested for a shoplifting offense on Friday. However, during the booking process, they learned his real name and also discovered an outstanding warrant from probation and parole. He now faces an additional charge of providing a false identity and his bond has been denied pending the extradition process for the existing warrant.
Alberti is about 5 feet 11 inches tall and 160 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. Investigators said Alberti has connections to Orangeburg and Colleton counties.
Anyone with information on his location is urged to call 911, the Sumter County Sheriff's Office at 803-436-2000, or Crime Stoppers at 1-888-CRIME-SC.