Surry County authorities captured a prisoner after he escaped from the county detention center shortly after 1 p.m. Friday.

Sheriff Graham Atkinson said that Paul Vincent Callas, 45, of Ararat, had been incarcerated since January on multiple charges involving breaking and enterings. He said a maintenance crew had been working on the air conditioners on the roof of the jail and left a door open. Callas was out of his cell cleaning and was able to climb through ceiling tiles to escape to the roof, Atkinson said.

Callas then shed his jumpsuit and was only wearing a white T-shirt and white undershorts.

Atkinson said a civilian sheriff’s office employee was eating lunch at Burger King when they saw Callas on the roof. He said by the time he jumped onto the roof of the front porch of the jail and officers got around there, he was nowhere to be found.

He said Callas broke his ankle during the jump and since he was unable to run away, he crawled into the chassis of the sheriff’s office tactical team vehicle nearby. Atkinson said one of the “weekender” prisoners who reports to serve time on the weekend told authorities that he had seen a suspicious person out in the parking lot.

He said the initial call came in around 1:10 p.m. and Callas was discovered just before 7 p.m.

License checks were set up in several parts of the county in an attempt to find the inmate, he said.

He said warrants have been issued against Callas for the escape. Callas was taken to Northern Hospital of Surry County to be treated for his ankle and any other injuries he may have sustained in the jump.