A district court judge sentenced the last escapee from the Freeborn County Jail Wednesday, closing the case on the first successful escape in the jail’s history.

Thursday, March 01, 2001

A district court judge sentenced the last escapee from the Freeborn County Jail Wednesday, closing the case on the first successful escape in the jail’s history.

Cory Lee Fleck, 31, of 215 North Sturgis, Mankato, was sentenced Wednesday to one year in jail with credit for time served for gross misdemeanor escape.

Fleck was also sentenced to one year in jail for aggravated gross misdemeanor charges of driving while intoxicated, to run concurrent with the escape sentence.

Fleck escaped from the Freeborn County Jail with David Valadez and Ruben Barnett Chavez on July 23, 2000. He eluded officers until Aug. 9, when he was arrested in Blue Earth County for driving while intoxicated.

The inmates pried open a cell window using a piece of metal obtained from the jail exercise room and climbed down using sheets that had been tied together.

During the escape, Chavez fell on a motorcycle parked next to the Law Enforcement Center, breaking both his arms. He appeared at the Albert Lea Medical Center emergency room shortly after, wearing his jail uniform. Valadez was apprehended the morning after the escape by Franklin County Sheriff’s deputies.