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Acquaintance of triple murder suspect alerted police that he escaped Sudbury Jail

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It was around dinnertime Saturday when the Greater Sudbury Police Service learned that an inmate at the Sudbury Jail escaped.

That meant Joel Roy, a man accused of three murders and described by police as a dangerous person, was on the loose in the community.

Rather than a call from the jail, it was someone who knew Roy that tipped off police.

"Someone acquainted to Mr. Roy was the first source of information that alerted us to the possibility of his escape,” said Det. Staff Sgt. Barry Ornella of the Greater Sudbury Police Service.

“And it was then that led us contacting the district jail and then it was confirmed that he was not accounted for."

Roy, 33, is accused of two murders at Sudbury's Travelodge Hotel, along with the death of a southern Ontario man discovered in the Wahnapitae area.

Police launched an extensive search, drawing upon tips from the public, which police say was critical in the investigation. The tips eventually led investigators to a residence on Bulmer Avenue.

"We sent resources to that area and set up containment on the address,” Ornella said.

“(At) which point our tactical unit gained entry into the residence and successfully took Mr. Roy into custody without incident."

Specifics regarding how Roy escaped are unknown at this time, and police say it is working alongside the Sudbury Jail and the Ministry of the Attorney General to find answers.

While details are scant, one person has been arrested in connection with the case.

"We have made an arrest of one 37-year-old man in our community who we know did offer some form of assistance to Mr. Roy after he escaped from the jail," Ornella said.

In an email to CTV News, the Ministry of the Solicitor General said it has launched an internal investigation into the matter and is not able to comment. 

Correction

This story has been updated to correct the street name to Bulmer Avenue.

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