Manatee Jail Escapee Might Be in Hillsborough County

Sheriff’s deputies are asking residents throughout the Tampa Bay area to keep their eyes open for an inmate they say walked away from the Manatee Correction Complex near Palmetto Sunday afternoon.

Meren Thompson, 43, went missing from the inmate farm around 2:30 p.m., WTSP reported. Shortly after he left, a Sun City Center couple was carjacked; their 1997 Ford F150 stolen, Bay News 9 reported. The truck is blue in color and has a Vermont tag.

Authorities say Thompson may have been responsible for that carjacking and could still be driving the stolen vehicle.

Thompson is said to be 5 feet, 10 inches tall and weighs 180 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes. His past arrests include grand theft auto, contempt of court and domestic battery charges, according to Manatee County Jail records.

Anyone who sees Thompson is asked to call the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at 941-747-3011, Crime Stoppers at 866-634-TIPS or local law enforcement.

Photo Credit: Meren Thompson/Manatee County Jail