Escaped Prisoner Charged with Attempted Murder

An Easley man has been charged with attempted murder after he assaulted an attendant at the Dacusville Recycling Center.

Zachary Scott Finley, 20, of 1013 Robert P. Jeanes Road, has been charged with attempted murder, kidnapping, strong armed robbery, escaping from prison, malicious injury to animals, and larceny after police say he escaped from his inmate work assignment Friday.

Pickens County Sheriff's Deputies responded to the recyling center after receiving reports of an inmate assaulting the attendant before fleeing on foot, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.

Finley was an inmate at the Pickens County Prison when he was assigned to work at the recycling center. The victim of the attack was a state employee assigned to supervise Finley. Finley struck the victim in the back of the head at least three times with an aluminum baseball bat, officials said.

The victim told police he threw out his wallet in hopes Finley would take it and leave. Finley then locked the victim in a storage room in the rear of the building before taking the wallet which contained approximately $280 and fled the scene.

Sheriff's Deputies were able to locate Finley approximately 15 minutes after receiving the 911 call, officials said. After a short foot pursuit deputies took Finley into custody.

Finley was serving a 30-day magistrate court sentence for criminal domestic violence and was due to be released in mid-January.

The victim was transported to Greenville Memorial Hospital.