Police search for escapee from Jasper County Detention Center

The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office is currently assisting the Jasper County Detention Center in the search for an escapee who was arrested on March 5 on several charges, including sex trafficking of a minor. The two departments and the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division are currently searching for Jaquan Duvall Barnes, 28, of Port Royal, the Jasper County Sheriff’s Office said.

Barnes is described as a 150-pound man with brown eyes and brown hair and is 5 feet 2 inches tall, the sheriff’s office said. He also faces charges of fugitive from justice and obstruction of justice, according to Hardeeville police.

It is not known exactly when the incident occurred Monday afternoon, but as of 6 p.m., officers were still searching for Barnes, who had escaped from the Jasper County Detention Center. The Jasper County Sheriff’s Office posted on its Facebook page around 3:30 p.m. that they were assisting with the operation. The detention center is located at 12008 North Jacob Smart Boulevard in Ridgeland.