CAMPTON, Ky. (LEX 18) — A Wolfe County inmate is back in custody after police say he stole a county truck Monday afternoon.
Mary Moore is a cashier and cook at Corner Marathon Food Mart near the Pine Ridge community. She is used to serving food to an inmate crew that stops at the market every week.
“They come Monday through Friday, usually around 11:30 to pick up their lunches,” Moore said. “They always call it in ahead of time, and we have it ready.”
Moore says Monday was anything but routine.
“There were four inmates total. While the boss man came in to get their meals, one of the inmates decided to get in the driver's side of the truck, and when he did that, the other three got out.
Security footage shows the inmates climbing out of the county-owned truck, which speeds off just moments after. Deputy sheriff K9 officer Derrek Lawson says the driver was 23-year-old Gunner Cornett.
“I think we looked and he was going to be available to possibly parole at the beginning of April,” Lawson said. “It was a very dumb decision on his part to steal a county vehicle.”
After Cornett took off with the stolen truck, police say they decided not to pursue him. Instead, they reached out to law enforcement agencies from surrounding counties.
“We contacted Powell County, Estill County, and Lee County,” Lawson said.
According to Lawson, Cornett fled through Powell and into Estill County, where Irvine police located Cornett and placed him back into custody with no incident.
“We're assuming that he was trying to get to his residence or maybe somebody that he knew in Estill County,” Lawson said.
Monday’s theft did result in a number of new charges. Lawson was thankful for assistance from surrounding counties.
“We appreciate that. This being such a small community, everybody kind of works together to have a positive outcome of a bad situation. It all worked out and nobody was hurt, the truck wasn't hurt.”
