PARKER, South Dakota — The public is advised that an inmate who escaped police custody in Turner County, South Dakota, has ties to the Adrian/Ellsworth area and may be hiding near Nobles County.
Tyson Wessels, 42, was arrested on a warrant for a series of thefts in South Dakota. While in transit Monday by the Turner County Sheriff's Department, Wessels hijacked the vehicle and left the deputy in a ditch on Interstate 29.
From there, Wessels stole a Ford pickup from a farmer's field, then ditched it when he crossed the border into Minnesota. Near Steen, he stole a silver Chrysler Town & Country minivan, changed into civilian clothes and got his handcuffs and shackles off. He was last seen wearing cowboy boots and a blue shirt.
Wessels grew up in Nobles County, so law enforcement believes that may be where he was headed. He is considered a dangerous person, and the public should not approach him, but call 9-1-1 if he is spotted.
