Escaped NJ Inmate 'Desired to Turn Himself In' but Left Before Being Apprehended, Police Say

— -- Police in New Jersey say an escaped inmate has been spotted near a highway rest area.

State police said Arthur Buckel, 38, was seen late Sunday near a rest area along the Garden State Parkway in Lacey Township.

The Lacey Township Police Department released surveillance photos of a clean-shaven Buckel wearing a long-sleeved gray sweatshirt, gray shorts and work boots.

Police said Buckel, who once served time for manslaughter for killing a baby, had “indicated a desire to turn himself in,” but left the area before police could take him into custody.

"Upon being notified of the search that was underway, both Lacey PD and Berkeley PD assigned personnel to assist in search efforts and assigned additional officers to patrol areas along the [Garden State Parkway]," police said in a statement released this morning. "The subject is believed to have initially moved north from the rest area on foot, but his movements thereafter are unknown. It is not known if he entered a vehicle at some point or is still moving on foot."

Police have increased security in areas of concern, including schools, during the morning hours and throughout the day.

Buckel was serving a two-year sentence for assault and burglary, but records indicate he had previously served 14 years for manslaughter. He was paroled in 2010, and went back to prison on assault and burglary charges in 2015.

Buckel escaped from Bayside State Prison Tuesday, just weeks before being eligible for parole.