An inmate who was working in a Kentucky candle factory when a tornado ripped the building apart has turned himself in after walking out of the hospital where he was treated for his injuries, according to police.
Francisco Starks, 44, was working at Mayfield Consumer Products’ candle factory as part of a work release program when a tornado tore through, according to Kentucky State Police.
The Graves County inmate survived the destruction and was treated at the nearby Jackson Purchase Medical Center, police said. When he was released from the hospital, he walked out.
In a one-line update posted to its website Monday, the Kentucky State Police said Starks turned himself in to the Calloway County Jail.
Reached by telephone Monday evening, the KSP declined to comment further on whether Starks was lost in the post-disaster chaos or whether he had attempted to escape.
Starks is serving time for third-degree burglary, theft by unlawful taking of an automobile and receiving stolen property, according to police.
The town of Mayfield was decimated in one of the deadly tornadoes that tore through six states across the Mississippi Valley overnight Friday into the early hours of Saturday.
The devastating outbreak, which included more than 30 tornado reports, is an extremely rare event this late in the year.
As of Monday evening, 74 people had been confirmed dead in Kentucky following the storm, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear said.
Beshear said the death toll would likely rise.