PEORIA - Escaped Peoria County Jail inmate James Fuller is captured. Police found him around 1:30 p.m. Wednesday.

Fuller, 44, was reportedly hiding out in a vacant house in the 2100 blk. of N. North St. This ends a search than lasted more than a day and a half.

Fuller escaped, and along with 28-year-old inmate Aaron Cook, sometime after 8 p.m. Monday. Peoria County Sheriff Mike McCoy tells WMBD 31 News Fuller had likely been working on the escape for more than a year. McCoy says Fuller cut a hole in the ceiling of his cell and was able to tunnel through a cement roof using a piece of metal. The sheriff says Cook had probably been helping Fuller in jail for about four months.

Cook was apprehended Tuesday afternoon in the 600 blk. of Spitznagel. Police found him hiding in a basement in sweats. They say his black and white striped jail uniform was nowhere to be found. Two people have been arrested for allegedly helping Cook hide. Joshua and Brianne Kulik, both 29 and of Peoria, are in jail and expected to be charged with obstructing justice.

Around the same time Cook was found, police suspect Fuller was breaking into a home in the 600 blk. of Tracy. Police believe Fuller tied up a resident, then stole an SUV. Police found the SUV Tuesday evening at Woodruff High School. The sheriff believes surveillance cameras at the school captured pictures of Fuller. WMBD 31 News has asked for that video and is awaiting response from District 150.

The Peoria County Jail was housing 494 inmates Monday night. The jail's capacity is just 420. More than 100 inmates were sleeping on the floor.

Notably, James Fuller was supposed to appear in court Wednesday.

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Aaron Cook was apprehended Tuesday afternoon in the 600 blk. of Spitznagel.



 













Joshua and Brianne Kulik allegedly helped escapee Aaron Cook hide.