Finding Nemo and Garza

You have to hand it to some people; they are willing to move mountains to get to where they want to be.

Or dig their way out of prison "Shawshank-style" with a homemade tool made of an old toothbrush and a piece of metal.

And then, after all that work to get out of the IronBar Hilton and on the road to freedom, did they

a) keep high-tailing it until they were far, far away 

or 

b) stop for pancakes?

You know they had to have those flapjacks.  It was a week ago today that John Garza, 37, and Arley Nemo, 43, turned up missing from Newport News Jail Annex in Virginia at the regular 7 PM headcount.

Garza (left) and Nemo

Somehow these geniuses knew that within the prison walls were untied rebars, and that gave them the gap they needed to get out,  scale a high wall, and leave.

But instead of getting away like Andy DuFresne in the movie, our two heroes here stopped at an IHOP early on Tuesday, and other diners who saw the news bulletins about their getaway tipped the server with both a couple of dollars and the info on Garza and Nemo's current whereabouts.

“I’m thankful for the citizens who observed Garza and Nemo at the Ihop and notified law enforcement,” said the Newport News sheriff, Gabe Morgan. “It reinforces what we always say:  ‘See something, say something’.”

Something else we always say:  When you're hopping away from the law, don't IHOP in the same town.

And now that the Sheriff is aware that his retaining walls do not do a very good job of retaining criminals, he and his team are fixing things as fast as they can. "Until all weaknesses are identified and secured, we will not discuss the situation further for security reasons," his office said in a statement.

Garza was a guest of the county on charges including contempt of court, probation violations and failure to appear.

He appeared at IHOP, though!

Nemo was up on a laundry list of charges, including credit card fraud, credit card larceny, forgery, possession of burglary tools, grand larceny, contempt of court and probation violation, the sheriff’s office said. So, now that he's back, maybe he can work in the lockup laundry.

The sheriff will be adding escape charges for both men, as well. Maybe this time, they'll stay around.