UPDATE 8:10 P.M.: Joel Blanton was taken into custody in Warren County Monday night.
Authorities credited teamwork by the Van Buren and Warren County Sheriff's Departments, the U.S. Marshals, ATF, and TBI in completing the arrest.
ORIGINAL STORY:
The TBI has added a convicted child rapist to its "Top 10 Most Wanted" list.
Joel Ernest Blanton, 37, is wanted by the Van Buren County Sheriff's Department and the TBI after investigators said he escaped from the Van Buren County Jail around 1 a.m. Monday.
Blanton was found guilty of four counts of rape of a child and two counts of aggravated sexual battery on April 17. He was set be sentenced on Wednesday.
Blanton is a white male, about 5'11" and weighs approximately 236 pounds. He has black hair, brown eyes, and several tattoos on his face, hands, and arms.
The TBI is offering a $2,500 reward for information leading to his arrest.
