NEAR FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (WSVN) – Two fugitives who were arrested in Pompano Beach after they escaped from a Tennessee prison were planning to leave the country, according to detectives.
Broward Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested the two escaped inmates, identified as 37-year-old Robert Brown and 35-year-old Christopher Osteen, on Sunday.
“These are two very violent offenders,” Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said. “They had an intent, an agenda to not only continue their crime spree by kidnapping individuals, stealing properties, as well as having the intent to shoot it out with the police officers.”
The duo were located when a license plate reader in Pompano Beach triggered an alert that the stolen car they drove from Tennessee was in the area.
Brown was quickly taken into custody, and Osteen hid for hours under a deck.
“He did not want to come out,” BSO Col. Steve Robson said. “He spent a long time under there. He resisted several less-lethal options that we had, and finally, when we introduced gas is when he finally decided to exit.”
Investigators said the two committed several burglaries in Tennessee on Friday following their escape to try to round up weapons.
“They did a home invasion, where they tied up an elderly couple, stole money and property from them and their vehicle,” Robson said. “From there, they continued to do several burglaries in the Tennessee area, specifically to look for firearms.”
Detectives added that the duo’s plan was to get to South Florida to leave the country.
“Their intent for being in South Florida was to steal or hijack a boat to leave the country,” Robson said.
The two men are being held at the Broward County Jail before they are extradited to Tennessee.
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