• Three inmates escape from east Atlanta prison
• They kidnap a female driver

U.S. court records revealed that three inmates, including a suspect in a murder case, escaped from East Atlanta Prison, took control of a terrified female driver, and headed toward South Florida before she was rescued and they were apprehended.

The driver told authorities that the men used a fake name to request the ride, put a rope around her neck from behind, dragged her into the back seat, and threatened to kill her, according to court documents obtained by U.S. media.

DeKalb County Deputy Warden Temetris Atkins said the escapees exploited part of a prison cell to flee, without disclosing further details to protect the safety of other inmates.

County Sheriff Melody Maddox described the prison as "an old facility crumbling before our eyes," located in Decatur, about 16 kilometers east of central Atlanta.

The escape was discovered Monday morning during a routine security check, after which authorities reviewed recorded phone calls of the inmates, revealing that one of the escapees had communicated with outsiders to assist in the escape.

The escapees were transported to a friend’s house by an unknown person, then requested a ride under a fake name for a woman through an app.

Officers tracked the vehicle using license plate readers, and when they tried to stop it, one inmate jumped out and was arrested along with another inmate, according to court records.

It was revealed that the men used the driver’s credit card to rent a short-term residence in Miramar, Florida, where the third inmate was captured and the driver rescued, according to records.

The driver stated that she was held in the car for between six and ten hours while the men attempted to access her phone and bank accounts, and when she tried to escape once, she faced escalating threats of death and torture.

Kidnapping and escape charges were filed against all three inmates.

Charles, 24, had prior arrests including murder and armed robbery, while the other two faced charges of armed robbery and arson.

Authorities warned that the inmates could be armed and dangerous, noting that Charles had previously been sentenced to life imprisonment for kidnapping and bank robbery before being transferred to DeKalb County to face a murder charge on 5 December.