Sheriff says escaped inmate 'must be one of the world's dumbest criminals'

SPOTSYLVANIA COUNTY, Va. – According to the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office, Benjamin Wash is an inmate at the Virginia Department of Corrections Camp 21 facility in Stafford County.

The Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office said that the inmate was working at a food bank on Lee Hill Drive as part of his work release when he ran across a nearby airport runway, stole a car and took off.

Captain Jeffery Pearce with the Spotsylvania County Sheriff's Office said Wash stole a bottle of hand sanitizer with a high alcohol amount from the kitchen and was drinking it.

When confronted by the staff, authorities said Wash escaped out the back door.

Was then ran across the runway which was near the airport. From there, Pearce said he ran across a busy two-way road and stole a car from a local business across from the airport.

From there, he headed towards Caroline County. The Sheriff's Department in Caroline County spotted him driving erratically and caught him after a short pursuit.

"Someone who decides to commit three or four or five different felonies after being caught for a simple rules violation, qualifies to me as one of the world's dumbest criminals," said Capt. Pearce.

In Spotsylvania County, Wash is charged with felony larceny of the sanitizer, grand larceny of a motor vehicle and felony escape.

In Caroline County he is charged with felony eluding, reckless driving, and DUI.

Wash escaped around 3:30 p.m. Wednesday. He was caught about an hour after.

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