Inmate Back In Jail Following ID Swap

GALVESTON, Texas (AP) — A Galveston County jail inmate has been recaptured after switching identification wristbands with another prisoner and then being freed on bond.

Jail records show 38-year-old Alex Washington was being held without bond Monday on bank robbery charges in a holdup last summer in Friendswood.

Sheriff Henry Trochesset (TRAHS'-uh-set) says Washington was freed Saturday night after switching ID bands with another inmate, whose bond was $100,000 in an identity theft case.

Someone on the outside posted bond, then Washington was released. Jailers realized the mistake an hour later. Washington was caught Sunday night on nearby Bolivar (BAHL'-uh-vur) Peninsula.

The sheriff says Washington and the inmate who switched ID bands are similar in height, weight and other physical features. The person who posted the bond and both inmates could face charges.