IOWA CITY, Iowa β After escaping from an Iowa prison, an inmate walked along railroad tracks for miles before stealing an unlocked car that had its keys inside.
Lee County Sheriff Jim Sholl says Justin Kestner walked about five miles from Fort Madison to the rural town of Wever after escaping from the Iowa State Penitentiary early Sunday.
He says Kestner fled in a Pontiac Grand Prix, likely taking the opportunity to steal the first vehicle he saw "that had the keys in it."
That vehicle was reported abandoned hours later near Geneseo, Illinois. After learning that it was registered to an owner in Wever, Sholl says investigators searching for the inmate immediately suspected it was the car he'd stolen. An Illinois state trooper found Kestner walking along a nearby highway and arrested him.
