Prisoner allowed to attend funeral escapes and is on run, Pennsylvania officials say

A man who was temporarily released from prison for a funeral escaped and is now on the run, officials say.

On Sunday, Jason Lajoie was granted a furlough so he could attend the funeral in Rhode Island, according to a news release from Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers.

But as he was in a transport vehicle, officials say he escaped while on Interstate 84 in Pike County, Pennsylvania, near the borders of New Jersey and New York.

Now, the U.S. Marshals Service is seeking the public’s help in tracking Lajoie down. Officials say he was last seen wearing jeans, a black dress shirt and a black Harley Davidson hooded sweatshirt. He previously lived in Archibald and Scranton, both of Lackawanna County.

Lajoie, who goes by “Critter,” was arrested in February and charged with 13 counts of felony possession of firearms by a convicted felon among other charges, according to WBRE.

Anyone with information about Lajoie’s whereabouts is asked to contact Pennsylvania Crime Stoppers at 1-800-472-8477 or online. Tipsters can remain anonymous and may receive a cash award for information that leads to finding Lajoie.

This story was originally published October 26, 2021 at 3:13 PM with the headline "Prisoner allowed to attend funeral escapes and is on run, Pennsylvania officials say."