Man escapes custody in downtown Bloomington

Posted on February 7, 2020
Thomas Benge. (Photo McLean County Sheriff’s Office)

By Neil Doyle

BLOOMINGTON – Local authorities are looking for a man who escaped custody Friday afternoon.

The McLean County Sheriff’s Office is searching for Thomas Benge who escaped from officers in the 100 block of West Front Street, just north of the Law and Justice Center in downtown Bloomington.

Sheriff Jon Sandage told our news partner Heart of Illinois ABC Benge was arrested earlier in the day for allegedly driving under the influence of drugs.

Benge is a white man, 6’0″ tall, 160 pounds, with a tattoo above his left eye. Officers say he was last seen handcuffed wearing a black/gray hoodie, blue jeans, black sweatpants, and black high top tennis shoes.

Authorities say if anyone sees or comes into contact with this person do not approach him, but call 911 or McLean County Crime Stoppers at 309-828-1111.

Benge has almost 40 entries on his criminal record in McLean County, mostly traffic offenses over the past two decades, according to the circuit clerk’s website. That includes a 5 1/2-year prison sentence for a guilty plea in 2014 to residential burglary.

He has a pending drug case from September of last year.

Neil Doyle can be reached at [email protected]

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