Convict captured after brief fling with freedom. He escaped from a facility in Opa-locka

Eric Mack’s freedom didn’t last that long.

Mack, 35, who walked out of a low security prison work-release center in Opa-locka sometime over night Thursday, was captured by Miramar police Friday afternoon. Few details about his capture were available.

Mack, who was imprisoned by a Broward County court in May for burglary of an occupied dwelling, had nine months left on his sentence when he disappeared from a facility that sees few escapes. The Opa-locka center houses mostly non-violent criminals who don’t have much time left on their sentences.

Security personnel realized he was missing during a morning head count, said Florida Department of Corrections spokesman Patrick Manderfield. Mack had been at the work-release site for three days and was still looking for work when he got up and left.

“They usually have a history of good behavior,” said Manderfield. “It’s a rare occasion when they’d walk out like that.”

Mack was sentenced to two years and four months in prison. Miami-Dade police helped in the search, Manderfield said.

This story was originally published August 17, 2018 at 2:29 PM.