A hospital counselor and a patient have been arrested in Clark County, Nevada nearly one week after the two left the Arkansas State Hospital.
Officials said counselor Michelle Messer used her access to the hospital to escort Cody Chapin out of the hospital on March 20. The two left the area in her personal car.
Before the escape, Messer was told to not interact with Chapin after state employees found he had a cell phone and a vaping machine in his possession. She denied any knowledge of the items and left the meeting to help Chapin leave the hospital.
According to the Associated Press, Chapin was committed after he was determined to be mentally ill in a 2015 ruling. He was charged with attempted kidnapping, drug possession, theft and unauthorized use of a vehicle.
Chapin previously left the state in 2016 and was eventually captured in Las Vegas in October 2017.
DHS said that once Messer had been found, she would be fired immediately. She is being held at the Clark County Detention Center and is being charged with aiding an unauthorized departure of a state hospital patient and providing items to a patient.
Chapin will return to the Arkansas State Hospital.
We will continue to update this story with more information as it becomes available.