Shawn New, 27, had been arrested on Jan. 13 and held in Santa Rita Jail since then to be extradited to Kentucky, where he was wanted on fraud charges.
[Ads /]
Deputies from Boone County, Kentucky, picked him up this morning to extradite him, Alameda County sheriff's officials said.
But as they were on their way to San Francisco International Airport for a flight back to Kentucky, they were stuck in stop-and-go traffic on Highway 880 in Hayward. New fled from the car at about 9:45 a.m. and escaped, sheriff's officials said.
Alameda County sheriff's deputies responded and set up a perimeter to search for him, but hadn't found him as of about 3 p.m., according to the sheriff's office.
[Ads /]
He was last seen wearing a blue plaid shirt, blue jeans and brown boots. New does not have a history of violent crimes but anyone who sees him has been asked to call 911 immediately.