Search goes on for inmate who rappelled to freedom Inmate flees Galveston hospital

Joshua Duane Barnes (shown in a photo last week) was found in Amarillio the last two times he escaped, authorities say. Joshua Duane Barnes (shown in a photo last week) was found in Amarillio the last two times he escaped, authorities say. Photo: TDCJ Photo: TDCJ Image 1 of / 3 Caption Close Search goes on for inmate who rappelled to freedom 1 / 3 Back to Gallery

Police and prison officials continue searching today for an inmate who used bedsheets to escape from a Galveston hospital Saturday night.

This is the third escape attempt for 21-year-old Joshua Duane Barnes, sentenced to 35 years in prison on seven burglary charges, two charges of escape and one of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.

Cime Stoppers today offered a $5,000 reward for information leading to Barnes' capture.

He was last seen around 8:15 p.m. for a routine inmate count in his room at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice medical facility in Galveston.

About 15 minutes later, he was gone. Officers reported finding a hole in the wall where a vent had been removed and several blankets were tied together, leading to the hospital's roof.

Barnes went to the Galveston hospital for treatment on Wednesday after a fight in the TDCJ's Ferguson Unit, 20 miles northwest of Huntsville, which left his face swollen and badly bruised.

He has escaped from custody twice in the past year, once from a Potter County courtroom where he faced burglary charges, and again from the Potter County Detention Center a few months later.

Both times he was found in an Amarillo hotel room, according to reports.

“We're continuing to canvas the area,” said TDCJ spokesman Jason Clark. “We've got a perimeter up and patrol officers searching and tracking dogs out following the scent.

Anyone with information about the case or Barnes' whereabouts is urged to contact Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS or on line at www.crime-stoppers.org . All tipsters remain anonymous.

jennifer.latson@chron.com