VIDALIA — An inmate trusty working as a mechanic in the Concordia Parish Correctional Facility’s auto maintenance shop escaped Monday morning, according to Sheriff Randy Maxwell.

Damon Henderson, 33, who was in jail for theft, is described as a white male, with brown eyes and brown hair. He is said to be 5 feet, 9 inches tall and weighs approximately 200 pounds.

Authorities believe that Henderson may have been picked up by someone he knew after he left the jail. The driver is believed to have been in a brown, Chevy pick-up truck. Henderson was last seen wearing a red button-up shirt and blue jeans.

Maxwell said it is believed that Henderson will ultimately be located in the Walker, La., area where his girlfriend resides.

Warden Russell Butler said all area law enforcement agencies here and in south Louisiana have been notified. Henderson’s information has also been entered into the National Crime Information Center’s database.

According to prison officials, Henderson had been working on a van Monday morning. When that work was complete, he was seen going into the men’s restroom. Officers noticed that he was gone at about 9 a.m.

He was sentenced in New Iberia on the theft charge. He was placed in jail Jan. 18 and was due to be released in October 2010. He had been working in the auto shop for about one month.