Mom Faces Charges After Sex Offender's Escape

A Texas inmate serving life without parole for sexually abusing a child was recaptured on Monday, the day after his escape from his Houston-area prison—and his mother was charged with aiding the escape. Authorities say Robert Yancy Jr. was arrested Monday morning in Matagorda County, about 45 miles southwest of the Clemens Unit in Brazoria County, CNN reports. The Texas Department of Criminal Justice said in a Facebook post that Yancy will face felony escape charges and his mother, Leonor Priestle, was charged with "Permit/Facilitate an Escape." Another man, Russell Williams, was charged with "Criminal Intent to Escape," the department said.

Authorities haven't disclosed how Yancy, 39, escaped from the prison. Police said he escaped around 3:40pm Sunday and was seen driving a white 2021 Nissan Versa, with his mother in the vehicle, KXXV reports. Police said Priestle was alone in the vehicle when they stopped the Nissan at 8:25pm Sunday in Victoria, Texas, around 110 miles west of Brazoria. KTRK reports that Yancy was sentenced to life without parole last year after he was found guilty of continuously sexually abusing a girl in Victoria County for three years, starting when she was seven years old. (More prison escape stories.)