By Jolene FarleyLife in Beaver Creek is back to normal after the arrest of jail escapee Jason Lee Heasley the morning of Wednesday, Oct. 29. Heasley was caught hiding, unarmed, under a blanket in the crawl space of a Sioux Falls home. Law enforcement reported he had a bundle of cash and drugs with him when captured. Investigators are unsure if Heasley was at this location during his entire time on the run, but Beaver Creek citizens and school officials weren’t taking chances.The school had been on lockdown status since receiving a phone call around 9:30 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 15 that 29-year-old Heasley, who has a son attending the school, was potentially headed to Beaver Creek.Heasley, considered armed and dangerous, faces drug and burglary charges. He escaped from a Beadle County jail Thursday, Oct. 9.A citizen’s tip to law enforcement led to Heasley’s apprehension. The citizen called while following a vehicle they thought Heasley was in. Officers believe Heasley left the car and walked a couple of blocks to a friend’s house. Investigators later found a meth lab in the trunk of the vehicle Heasley had been in. Hills-Beaver Creek Elementary principal Todd Holthaus was notified by Rock County Sheriff Mike Winkels about 7 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 29, of Heasley’s capture. Holthaus said citizens and school officials are relieved that life has returned to normal."We waited with the kids," Holthaus said. "We had them follow the routine in the morning, in the afternoon students were allowed to have normal recess outside."
