Homeowner shoots escapee
<p>Roy Joseph Bieluch is wheeled into Shoshone Medical Center Thursday evening with at least one gunshot wound to the leg. Bieluch escaped from the Shoshone County Public Safety Facility Tuesday night, and was reportedly shot with a handgun by a landowner near Wallace.</p>
Shoshone County jail escapee Roy Joseph Bieluch, 48, was shot Thursday near Placer Creek south of Wallace, according to information released by the Shoshone County Sheriff's Office.
Homeowner Brian Decker, talking with reporters Thursday night, said he went to check on his barking dog just after 5:30 p.m. and confronted Bieluch on his property. Decker said he called 911 and ordered Bieluch to stay where he was, with his hands up. When Bieluch reportedly approached Decker, the ex-Marine fired one shot, which entered Bieluch's left leg and exited his right leg.
"Everybody lived. It was a good day. Nobody died, everybody went home and peace and harmony reigned," Decker said.
He then added, "Don't mess with the Marines."
Bieluch was taken by ambulance and escorted by police to Shoshone Medical Center in Kellogg on Thursday night. An update on his condition was not available at press time.
Law enforcement officials searched for Bieluch Wednesday and Thursday as his female companion was charged with aiding a felon after her arrest Wednesday evening, according to SCSO.
On Tuesday night Bieluch escaped from the Shoshone County Public Safety Facility, where he was being held on multiple charges including burglary and malicious injury to property.
Sheriff's office reports indicate Bieluch's female companion, Rachel Johnson, was arrested around 4 p.m. Wednesday on the south hill area of Wallace. She is reportedly being held without bond in the county jail until she appears in court. Shoshone County Sheriff Mitch Alexander said Wednesday Johnson had been seen with a male believed to be Bieluch not long before her arrest.
While at the jail facility, Bieluch was a worker inmate - assigned to clean, assist the cooks and serve food among various other duties.
Around 8 p.m. Tuesday, he gained access to a closet that led to the crawl space in the ceiling of the building. The crawl space led to the main lobby of the sheriff's office.
Upon exiting the vent in the front lobby, he allegedly stole an employee's purse and escaped from the building on foot via the front door.
Security footage also shows him running into an employee of the office prior to leaving the facility.