Hays County inmate pulled off early release scheme, officials say

An inmate tricked Hays County Jail officials Thursday into releasing him early by exchanging identities with another inmate, Hays County sheriff’s officials said.

Police found Shaun Haenes, 41, at a nearby restaurant Thursday night and returned him to the Hays County Jail. They found him less than two hours after he had been released, sheriff’s officials said.

Haenes is now charged with fugitive with intent to give false information, escape while confined and four counts of tampering with a government record, officials said. He was originally incarcerated on various charges, including failure to identify and drug charges, officials said.

For several days before his escape, Haenes had conspired with another cellmate to exchange identities and then bond out of jail posing as the cellmate, officials said.

Haenes, under the assumed identity, was removed from his jail cell Thursday to begin his release processing paperwork, officials said. One of the corrections officer failed to follow proper inmate release procedures that would have exposed the incorrect identity, sheriff’s officials said.

Haenes was released at 8:13 p.m., and jail officials realized their mistake at 8:43 p.m., said Dennis Gutierrez, sheriff’s spokesman. They called San Marcos police, who found Haenes and brought him back to the jail at 9:37 p.m.