FREMONT — Four people are charged in connection with helping two Sandusky County jail inmates escape.

Charles Teeple, 34, and Christopher Torres, 29, both of Fremont; Sarah Dannenberger, 36, of Bowling Green, and Joshua Newsome, 37, of Sandusky are charged in connection to assisting inmates Jordan Chapman and Mickey Hardy, both of Fremont, escape from the facility on July 17, said Sandusky County Sheriff Chris Hilton.

Each faces charges of obstructing justice, for which all were held Friday in the Sandusky County jail in lieu of $50,000 bond, except for Mr. Newsome, for whom bond was not set.

“They helped them after the escape. They gave them rides, that type of thing,” Sheriff Hilton said.

Details of how the assistance was coordinated were not disclosed Friday.

Investigators had determined human error and a malfunctioning emergency door allowed the two inmates to escape through the door in an outdoor recreation area. A summary of the investigation was provided to The Blade on Friday.

On the day of the escape, the inmates were allowed outside about 2:54 p.m. but no corrections officer went out before them, according to the report. Several minutes later, Chapman is seen on surveillance video walking in the recreation area while another inmate beside him kicked the emergency door.

Another inmate then approached the door, and Chapman is seen making a motion toward him indicating he should not approach the door, the summary states. About 10 minutes later, Hardy opened the door and peeked his head out for about five seconds but didn’t leave.

Less than 10 minutes after that, Chapman opened the door with Mr. Hardy behind him and both left the recreation area.

The sheriff’s office faulted an employee who had worked fewer than nine months at the jail for failing to check the door, and said the matter has been resolved with remedial training. 

Investigators also determined that a county contractor had failed, after repairing the door in the past, to reconnect wires that would light up a security-panel indication that the door had been opened. How the door became unlocked is not known, the summary stated. The door has since been fixed.

The two escapees were apprehended two days later in separate locations in Toledo.

Contact Allison Reamer at areamer@theblade.com, 419-724-6506 or on Twitter @AllisonRBlade.

First Published August 5, 2017, 4:00 a.m.