ERWINVILLE — Officers from several agencies searched areas around Erwinville on Monday after an inmate serving time on a drug-related charge escaped while being transported by Webster Parish authorities.

Randall Boyett, 23, was being transported from one Department of Public Safety and Corrections facility to another, officials said. Crews searched from land and sky with dogs, drones and helicopters.

According to West Baton Rouge Parish records, Boyett has been in and out of custody over the last five years. Monday, he fled into woods alongside U.S. 190 after bolting from the Webster Parish officers.

“He was being transported by Webster Parish to another facility,” Landon Groger with the West Baton Rouge Sheriff’s office said.

Groger says Boyett was last seen wearing a white t-shirt and dark colored pants and was still shackled with handcuffs at the waist when he got away.

“We’ve had air support from Louisiana State Police out here,” Groger said. “We’ve had our drones out here, and we’ve had the Louisiana Department of Corrections and Angola Chase team who are tracking some leads.”

In 2020, Boyett was charged in West Baton Rouge Parish for drug-related charges, but he was sent to Florida first to address a set of unknown charges. Between 2021 and 2023, he was arrested at various times for criminal mischief, resisting an officer, grand theft of a firearm and grand theft auto.

Boyett was returned to West Baton Rouge in 2024, and since June he’s been in DOC custody. To track him down, law enforcement will need to retrace Boyett’s steps.

“Any prior phone calls that he would have made, if this was a set up ordeal, did he set this up with somebody did he have communications with somebody?” Groger said. “Right now we don’t suspect that that happened. However we are looking into that.”

Anyone with information about Boyett’s whereabouts is urged to call 911.