NJ halfway house escapee finally caught after years on the run

A man who escaped a New Jersey halfway house in 2019 was arrested in Ohio Wednesday by U.S. Marshals.

Oderi Caldwell, considered one of New Jersey’s most wanted, escaped custody in April 2019 from the Hope Hall facility in Camden. He had been convicted of robbery, aggravated assault, and endangering an injured victim.

The U.S. Marshals Southern Ohio District said Caldwell was located in the Spanish Bay section of Mason, Ohio. He is being held by the Warren County, Ohio Sheriff's Office awaiting extradition to New Jersey.

The New Jersey Department of Corrections acknowledged an inquiry about Caldwell's capture but did not offer comment.

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How did Oderi Caldwell escape?

U.S. Marshals did not disclose the circumstances of Caldwell's capture.

“The United States Marshals Service is committed to making our community safer by locating violent offenders and those who escape incarceration. In this case, the NY/NJ Task Force coordinated this arrest with our team here in Southern Ohio and our task force partners at the Mason Police Department and Warren County Sheriff’s Office," Michael D. Black, United States Marshal for the Southern District of Ohio, said in a statement. "Combining our resources and sharing information led to the safe arrest of this violent escapee.”

Hope Hall is a 175-bed residential community release program contracted by the New Jersey Department of Corrections. The facility, operated by Volunteers of America Delaware Valley,  provides support and assistance for men who are within 24 months of parole eligibility.