Bobby Lee Dobbins, a 55-year-old inmate from Rocky Mount, Virginia, has been charged with possessing tools for escape and attempting to escape from a county confinement facility.
The charges stem from a January 15, 2025, incident at the Rockingham County Detention Facility.
Dobbins, who was already incarcerated on a charge of robbery with a dangerous weapon, allegedly used an assistive handrail from his cell to attempt a daring escape.
The handrail, which he managed to dislodge from the wall near the toilet in his cell, was reportedly used in an effort to break through the concrete wall into a piping chase, a method he believed would lead to his freedom.
However, his escape attempt was unsuccessful, and the breach of the cell wall was quickly discovered by facility staff. No one was injured in the incident.
Dobbins is currently being held at a detention facility in Virginia on unrelated charges. Once he is extradited back to Rockingham County, he will face the additional charges related to the escape attempt.
Authorities are continuing to investigate the incident. The Rockingham County Sheriff's Office has emphasized that the quick response of detention facility staff prevented Dobbins from making any progress toward escaping the secure facility.
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