Inmate escapes Hennepin County custody while about to be transported

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office says an inmate, 46-year-old Billy Mason, escaped custody Sunday afternoon while he was going to be transferred to Ramsey County custody for a warrant in that jurisdiction.

The agency says Mason ran through an open security garage door of the Hennepin County Public Safety Facility at 1:53 p.m. while handcuffed with a waistbelt.

He is described as a white male who is 5 feet, 10 inches tall weighing 249 pounds with brown eyes. The sheriff’s office says he was wearing a black T-shirt, blue jeans and black shoes.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office says that they are using all available resources and law enforcement partners to try to locate Mason but are also asking for the public’s help, too.

People should call 911 if they think they see Mason or have any information about where he went.

Authorities say that when he was taken into custody, Mason listed no permanent address.

He had been conditionally released on a Hennepin County warrant but was being transported to Ramsey County for a warrant in that county.