Georgia fugitive caught after 34 years on the run

A fugitive who escaped a Georgia prison almost 23 years ago was captured in South Florida. U.S. Marshals went to the address and arrested Austin without incident.

Austin escaped from Georgia’s Central State Correctional facility back in 1981 – where he was then serving a 15-year armed robbery sentence, the Associated Press reported.

Officials say Austin is in the Broward County Jail on an out-of-state hold Friday morning after he was captured Wednesday in suburban Fort Lauderdale.

Neighbors said Austin lived in his apartment for years, and kept a low profile.

Willie Lee Austin broke out of prison two days after Christmas in 1981.

His sentence date was April 8, 1977, and his original maximum release date was February 24, 1992, Hogan wrote.

“We do not allow Christmas passes”, Hogan said.

But Georgia Department of Corrections officers conducted an investigation recently and discovered a possible alias for Austin.

Since it was created in 2003, the regional fugitive task force has been involved in the apprehension of more than 20,000 violent fugitives in Georgia.