During a routine traffic stop that discovered heroin, a suspect escaped from the back of a patrol car, but was captured the same day, said Assistant Chief Jeremy Magri.

On May 22 at 12:27 a.m., the officer conducted a traffic stop at West Canal and Church Street for no tag light. As the officer spoke with the driver identified as Aaron Spiers, 28, of 144 Northwood Dr., in Carriere, he requested to exit the vehicle to check the tag light for himself, Magri said.

As Spiers exited the vehicle, the officer saw the passenger, identified as Nija Bonhomme, 20, of 133 Greenview Dr., in Picayune, to have an open knife lying on floor between his feet, Magri said.

The officer then requested a back up unit, which arrived a short time later and had Bonhomme exit the vehicle and patted him down for officer safety, Magri said.

During the pat down, they located a plastic baggy containing a light brown substance believed to be heroin in Bonhomme’s front pocket, leading to him being taken into custody for felony possession of a controlled substance. He was escorted to the patrol unit and placed in back seat, Magri said.

Officers then returned to the vehicle and conducted a search where they located a pill bottle containing 26 white pills identified as tramadol, a schedule IV narcotic, in a toolbox of a vehicle, Magri said.

They located a second pill bottle containing seven pills identified as klonopin, which is also a schedule IV narcotic, Magri said.

At this time Spiers was taken into custody for two counts of possession of a controlled substance misdemeanor, Magri said.

As Spiers was escorted to the patrol unit the officers discovered Bonhomme had escaped from patrol car, Magri said.

The Pearl River County Sheriff’s Department K-9 unit was called to scene in an attempt to locate Bonhomme, but he was nowhere to be found, Magri said.

Spiers was booked and incarcerated at the Criminal Justice Center at that time. Bonhomme was captured and incarcerated for the felony controlled substance charges and additional felony escape charges, Magri said.