2 Newport News inmates back in custody after tunneling out of jail, caught at IHOP

NEWPORT NEWS, Va. — Two men who tunneled their way out of a Newport News jail on Monday are back in custody after being found at an IHOP restaurant in a neighboring city, authorities said.

The Newport News Sheriff's Office said Arley Vaughn Nemo, 43, and John Michael Garza, 37, were discovered missing from the Newport News Jail Annex during a routine head count around 7:15 p.m.

The sheriff's office said the men "had tunneled through a cell wall leading to the exterior and proceeded to scale the security wall." 

According to a preliminary investigation, it appears the two men used a toothbrush and a metal bar to exploit a construction design weakness.

Based on this incident, a Newport News facility management and engineering team comprised of NNSO personnel and city facilities engineers are reviewing and formulating ways to mitigate the "construction facility weakness."

The escaped inmates were later found at an IHOP in Hampton eating breakfast around 3:30 a.m., according to a spokesperson for the Hampton Police Division, who said police were tipped off about the two being inside.

The spokesperson said the two were taken back into custody without any issues.

The sheriff's office said Garza was facing charges that include contempt of court, probation violations, and failure to appear.

Nemo was facing charges of credit card fraud, credit card larceny, forgery, possession of burglary tools, grand larceny, contempt of court, and probation violation.