East Texas inmate escapes by walking off work detail

ANGELINA COUNTY — An Angelina County inmate escaped from the jail late Thursday night after walking off a work detail. According to our news partner KETK, the sheriff’s office released a statement identifying the inmate as 36-year-old James Wheeler. He stands roughly 6’0″ tall, weighing 180 pounds with sandy blond or light brown hair. Deputies say he was last seen wearing a bright green t-shirt along with black and white striped uniform pants. Wheeler has more than a dozen felony convictions over the last 19 years, mostly for theft and organized crime. If you have any information about his whereabouts, contact the Angelina County Sheriff’s Office.