One of two men who escaped from a psychiatric facility in Washington state has been caught in a nearby town on Thursday, police said.
The second fugitive, who was accused of murder but found mentally incompetent to stand trial, is still on the loose Thursday.
Lakewood police Lt. Chris Lawler said officers picked up Mark Alexander Adams without incident in Des Moines, Washington, about 20 minutes away from Western State Hospital. Lawler says Adams was recognized and police detained him. Detectives will interview him.
Adams was caught after police say he got on a bus Wednesday night and asked how to get to the airport. Des Moines is just south of Seattle-Tacoma International Airport.
The other patient, 28-year-old Anthony Garver, remains at large.
The escapes are the latest in a litany of problems at the 800-bed facility, Washington state's largest psychiatric hospital.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has threatened to cut millions in federal funds to the facility after inspectors cited safety violations for both staff and patients. The agency recently extended the hospital's deadline for fixing the problems from April 1 to May 3. A federal judge has also said the hospital has failed to provide timely competency services to mentally ill defendants.
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Both Garver and Adams were being treated for mental illnesses by court order when they escaped on foot.
The only solid tip police have received so far in their manhunt is a possible sighting by a bus driver, Lakewood police Lt. Chris Lawler said.
Lawler says the driver picked up a man he believes was Garver around 6 p.m. A couple hours later, he picked up a man he believes was Adams. The driver told authorities Adams was interested in going to SeaTac, home to the Seattle-area's airport. Police have requested video from the transit agency.
Garver was arrested for murder in 2013 but found not competent to stand trial. Garver's real last name is Burke, but he goes by Garver and also has used the alias Deryk Garver, Lawler said.
"Garver is the more serious offender, and he's the one we consider to be scary and dangerous," Lawler told the NBC affiliate in Seattle.
Adams was arrested for domestic assault in 2014 but also found not competent for trial.
Police are urging anyone who spots them to keep away and contact authorities.
Police are making automated calls to Lakewood and Steilacoom residents near the facility to tell them to keep an eye on the department's Facebook page and local news websites for more information.
