Newport jail escapee on the loose

An inmate escape from the Pend Oreille County Jail prompted the lockdown of Newport schools this afternoon as Pend Oreille County deputies, Bonner County deputies and a U.S. Border Patrol K-9 team searched unsuccessfully for the fugitive. Ryan A. Apling, 29, climbed over several razor wire fences to escape, Pend Oreille County Sheriff’s Alan Botzheim said. Apling left behind his orange jail shirt and some blood in the snow, Botzheim said. “We tracked him several miles, barefoot and bleeding,” Botzheim said. The Sheriff’s Office believes someone may have left Apling a stash of clothes outside the jail, Botzheim said. He may have gotten a ride out of the area. Apling was last seen wearing a black hoodie and blue jeans. He is about 5 feet 10 inches tall with blue eyes and short blonde hair. He was being held at the jail for failure to appear in court on charges of second-degree trespassing and third-degree driving with a suspended license, both misdemeanors. Anyone with information on Apling’s location is asked to call (509) 447-1980.