An inmate who had escaped from the Blair County Prison in Western Pennsylvania in early December has been apprehended by authorities after being found leaving a Planet Fitness gym in Philadelphia.
Isaiah Robert Tilghman, 33, was taken into custody on Friday in the 3300 block of Aramingo Avenue in Philadelphia by the U.S. Marshals Service Philadelphia.
Tilghman had managed to escape from the prison on December 3 after being arrested on drug charges and parole violations. Following his escape, Tilghman stole a red 2011 Ford F-150.
The prison, located approximately 200 miles west of Philadelphia, received reports of the escapee being sighted on the 1800 block of East Schiller Street in Kensington, Philadelphia on Friday morning.
Law enforcement officials tracked Tilghman as he drove a black BMW to the Planet Fitness gym, where he was later seen leaving around 11 a.m.
Upon exiting the gym, Tilghman was met by over a dozen agents who were waiting outside the building to take him back into custody.
U.S. Marshals Deputy Robert Clark commended the collaborative efforts of the Fugitive Task Forces in Philadelphia and Pittsburgh for successfully capturing the escapee. Clark stated, 'The Marshals Service is unequivocally the best in the business at finding people who do not wish to be found, and this arrest reinforces that fact.'
Tilghman now faces charges of escape, flight to avoid apprehension, and additional charges related to his escape.
