Escapee arrested

A Ronan-area man who walked away from the Butte Prerelease Center has been found and arrested.

Aaron Matt was arrested last week by authorities in Butte just days after he was reported missing, according to the center’s program administrator, Jay Grant.

Matt was serving part of his sentence at the Butte facility for assault with a weapon and assault on a peace officer in Lake County.

Grant said that Matt will face an additional charge for escaping the low-security facility. He said that on average, about 12 people a year walk away from the Butte Prerelease Center to duck their sentences.

“It’s a residential program,” he said. “They come and go, and sometimes they just don’t want to be here.”

A second escapee from the center, Eric Matthew Cagle, is still at large. He was reported missing from pre-release on July 22.

Reporter Matt Hudson may be reached at 758-4459 or by email at mhudson@dailyinterlake.com.