Sodomy, Rape Conviction in Jail Laundry Cart Escapee's Past

Attempted laundry cart escapee John Anthony III, a man without a very clean background

​Readers could be forgiven for laughing at this morning's news of prisoner John Anthony III purportedly attempting the most hackneyed, cliched jailbreak in many a year when he reportedly tried to secret himself out of stir via a laundry cart and delivery truck.

A glance at Anthony's rap sheet, however, is no laughing matter. The 37-year-old Modesto man awaits sentencing after being found guilty on charges of forced sodomy, and rape with a foreign object -- and has a lengthy felonious background.

The parolee's most recent brush with the law -- prior to yesterday's laundry cart incident -- came last year. He has been convicted of kidnapping, robbing, and raping a Manteca mom while she waited for her children in front of a movie theater.

The 6-foot-2, 160-pound Anthony -- aka Mouse -- is accused of using a gun during that July 2009 crime. He has been incarcerated since that time, and is currently awaiting formal sentencing and a transfer to state prison.

Our calls to the San Joaquin County Sheriff's department regarding Anthony's abortive escape attempt from their jail facility in French Camp have not yet been returned.

Following the escape attempt, the prisoner is now additionally charged with "conspiracy to commit a misdemeanor" -- a felony, oddly enough -- and "escape while felony charges are pending." He has a court date tomorrow in Manteca.

He is now being held without bail; bail for his prior crime was set at $110,000.

Update, 12:20 p.m.: San Joaquin County correctional officer Kim de la Cruz said Anthony is the second inmate to attempt an escape from the French Camp jail facility via a laundry cart -- a prisoner tried to sneak out in 1994, and was also quickly foiled, according to the guard.

De la Cruz estimates that Anthony was run down by guards within a minute of being spotted attempting to leap into the delivery van.

Anthony's Dec. 2 court date is the arraignment for his escape attempt. De la Cruz is uncertain if legal proceedings surrounding Anthony's attempted flight will delay his pending transfer to state prison.

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