ST. JAMES — A 36-year-old St. James man who escaped Watonwan County Jail custody Sunday was arrested in a grassy field late Wednesday night about 4 miles north of St. James.

Leonardo Lopez Jr. was arrested without incident at about 11:30 p.m. after he fled from a vehicle that stopped in a driveway to a rural residence about 1/4 mile south State Highway 30 and 710th Avenue, according to a Watonwan County Sheriff’s Office press release.

Watonwan County Chief Deputy Mark Slater said the sheriff’s office followed up with leads and located a vehicle it believed Lopez was riding in.

“I turned on my emergency lights and stopped the vehicle. Lopez got out of the car, ran around a house and into a grassy field,” said Chief Deputy Slater.

“I called for help and stayed with the car driven by Mario Fernando Arreola, 37 of St. James. Matthew Joel Nelson, 52, of St. James was riding in the car,” Slater said. “The New Ulm Police Department K9 unit dog picked up his scent when they arrived, followed the track to Lopez.”

Arreola and Nelson were arrested for felony aiding an offender to avoid arrest and transported to the Watonwan County Jail.

Two other St. James residents, Elizabeth Nicole Frederickson, 20; and Skyler Lyle Carlson, 19; were arrested Nov. 1 for aiding an offender to avoid arrest. The arrests came after law enforcement followed up on information that the two individuals allowed Lopez to come to their home on Halloween night.

Lopez escaped jail custody after he forced his way through a jail door and fled on foot while he was being transferred from one part of the jail to another.

The Watonwan County Sheriff’s Office asked for the public’s help in trying to find Lopez who was on the loose for three days and nights.

Lopez was being held in jail on a felony charge of predatory offender-knowingly commits act or fails to fulfill registration requirements, filed Nov. 2, 2022. In 2005 at age 18, Lopez was convicted of third-degree criminal sexual conduct with a victim more than two years younger.

Assisting agencies included New Ulm, Madelia and St. James Police, the Brown County Sheriff’s Office, Minnesota River Valley Drug Task force and the Minnesota State Patrol.