Escape attempt thwarted at Washington State prison

WALLA WALLA — An escape attempt at the Washington State Penitentiary ended when a guard fired a warning shot into the air.

A prison spokeswoman says 29-year-old Wesley Leuthvilay climbed an inner fence during the noon meal Sunday and ran toward the main wall.

A tower officer fired a warning shot into the air, which caused the prisoner to stop running. He was taken to a segregation unit.

Prison spokeswoman Debbie Tracy says it was the first escape attempt at the prison since 1998.

She says the inmate has been at the prison since mid-August, serving a seven-year sentence out of King County. State records show he was convicted in June of assault.