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Sharpton Tries To Get Prison Escapee To Surrender

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Jan 9, 2008 11:53 am US/Eastern

Sharpton Tries To Get Prison Escapee To Surrender

Cops Nab 'Shawshank'-Style Escapee 6 Blocks From Union Prison

WESTFIELD, N.J. (CBS) ―

Click to enlarge 1 of 1: The inmates taunted prison guards afterwards, leaving a thank you note for having access to the tools that set them free.
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An inmate who escaped from a New Jersey jail three weeks ago was recaptured Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, the man who broke out with him remains at large, but he's been in contact with Reverend Al Sharpton.

Jose Espinosa was captured about a mile away from the jail where he escaped. He was arrested Tuesday night without incident after he was located on a tip to police.

Espinosa was brought into the Public Safety Building at the Union County facility after he and Otis Blunt escaped in a jailbreak this past December after pulling a cinderblock out of the wall separating their cells and scaling a 25-foot fence topped with razor wire.

There were some injuries on Espinosa's legs, but police don't know if those are from the escape.

The 20-year old was arrested along with a woman who is accused of harboring Espinosa inside an apartment in Elizabeth.

The inmates left a cheeky note thanking guard Rudolph Zurick for helping them to escape. However, authorities have said there was no evidence of assistance from Zurick, a corrections officer with a 14-year unblemished record. Zurick committed suicide on Jan. 2, and he was buried Monday.

As Espinosa was led away by police, CBS 2 HD's Christine Sloan asked him about Zurick.

"That's not my fault. That's his fault," an emotionless Espinosa said.

Meanwhile, the second escaped inmate, Otis Blunt, made headlines this week after a plea to Reverend Al Sharpton that he wanted to surrender.

Sharpton traveled to Mexico Tuesday night to help facilitate the surrender. He spoke with Blunt over the phone, and is leaving Mexico City after not hearing back from the fugitive.

Blunt was awaiting trial for robbery and weapons charges; Espinosa was behind bars awaiting sentencing after pleading guilty to manslaughter in a 2005 drive-by shooting.

The surrender of Blunt could come as early as Wednesday. Investigators say they had no reason to believe the two men have been together since their escape.

Stay with CBS 2 HD and wcbstv.com for the latest on this developing story.

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