State corrections officers and Lexington police are searching for 45-year-old Mary Helms after she escaped from the North Piedmont Confinement in Response to Violation (CRV) Center for Women in Lexington on Tuesday. Staff discovered she was missing during the facility's 4 p.m. count, officials said. Helms had been admitted to the center four days earlier to serve a 90-day period of confinement for a probation violation.
According to Spectrum News, prison records show Helms was sentenced in April to two years of probation for drug paraphernalia and has prior convictions for possessing stolen goods, driving while intoxicated and simple assault. The state Department of Adult Correction said it is investigating the escape and asked anyone with information to call 911.
Search And Response
State and local agencies launched a search as soon as staff realized Helms was gone during the afternoon count, though officials have not said how she left the minimum-security facility. As reported by WXII12, officers canvassed nearby areas and coordinated with state correctional units while the investigation continues.
About The North Piedmont CRV
The North Piedmont Confinement in Response to Violation Center for Women is a minimum-security site that houses people serving short periods of confinement for probation, parole or post-release supervision violations and offers programming aimed at reducing future violations, according to a PREA audit and agency records detailed by the N.C. Department of Public Safety.
Prison records reviewed by Spectrum News list several prior convictions for Helms and confirm she began serving the 90-day confinement on June 24. Officials have not released further details about the escape or any photographs beyond the department's booking image.
Anyone who believes they have seen Helms or has information about her whereabouts is asked to call 911, authorities say. As WXII12 notes, investigators emphasized that tips from the public can be crucial to a swift resolution.
