FERRIDAY, La. – A Jonesville man was charged with simple escape after driving away from the Ferriday Police Department, where he was being detained on other charges early Saturday morning, Police Chief Bobby Sheppard said Sunday.

Earlier Saturday morning, 36-year-old John Evans Jr., of 447 Deville Drive in Jonesville, was charged with theft of gas from the F&J gas station in Ferriday.

When the department’s dispatcher attempted to look up Evans’ driver’s license number and could not find any information on it, Evans was allowed to follow the police officer to the police station.

There, the officer was writing Evans citations for simple theft and no driver’s license and attempting to look up Evans’ driver’s license information when the officer was called to assist a fellow policeman with another incident.

Evans was left at the station, which was manned by the dispatcher, and told to wait for the officer to return, but Evans ran to his vehicle and drove off, making it as far as U.S. 84 near Black Bayou Road before police caught up with the vehicle, Sheppard said.

Evans was booked on charges of simple theft, no driver’s license and simple escape and was then transferred to the Concordia Parish Jail, where he remained as of Sunday afternoon.