Staff report

Police on Wednesday night apprehended a former police officer arrested in connection with a jewelry theft who had escaped police custody during a cigarette break the day before, authorities said.

New York State Police caught Andrew Jacobsen, who stole $4,000 worth of jewelry from a Trumansburg home, in Spencer at about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, police said. Jacobsen sold the jewelry at a pawn shop in Ithaca.

After police caught Jacobsen, they took him to the Tompkins County Jail where he was held without bail.

Jacobsen, a former Trumansburg police officer, was fired about four years ago on suspicion of drug use, Trumansburg Police Chief Thomas L Ferretti said in a news release. On Tuesday, he was being sought on an outstanding felony bench warrant on a charge of forgery.

Trumansburg police took Jacobsen into custody at 4:45 p.m. Tuesday for processing and the town judge was called, according to the news release. At around 6 p.m., Jacobsen was taken outside the Trumansburg station for a cigarette break.

"While they were putting the handcuffs on him, he pushed the officer and ran from the office," Ferretti's news release said.

Ferretti said new charges of second-degree assault and second-degree escape are expected to be filed against Jacobsen in the wake of the escape.