PLAQUEMINE - A man serving time on child pornography charges is back in custody after escaping the Iberville Parish jail early Tuesday and taking off in a decommissioned unmarked sheriff's unit.

According to Iberville Parish Sheriff Stassi, 55-year-old Timothy Billiot left the jail around 6 a.m. on Tuesday. Billiot, who's from Morgan city, was a state prison inmate and a trusty at the jail. Sheriff Stassi said the unmarked unit it was a truck that has a spare and no emergency lights. 

"He made his plan to leave the jail. The radio operators left at 6 a.m. When they asked for the gate to be opened, he followed them out," Iberville Parish Sheriff Brett Stassi said.

In an exclusive video WBRZ obtained from the jail, the gate opened, and the first car leaves. Then two more cars follow. Stassi says Billiot was in the third car. It wasn't until two hours later when staff realized he was gone.

"When we couldn't find him, I went to the jail with my command staff, and it was determined that he was not on the jail facility, and that vehicle was missing," Stassi said.

Stassi suspects during a break on Friday, Billiot walked into the car shop next to the restroom and grabbed a set of keys to the decommissioned sheriff's unit.

Billiot was the second inmate to escape Iberville Sheriff's deputies' custody in 2023. In April, Tyler Jackson ran from a transport van.

Stassi now promises security changes at the jail.

"We've got to change the way the keys are kept. They need to be under better lock and key system and limit access to the keys," he said.

Billiot was caught in St. Mary Parish around 3:45 p.m. Wednesday. Sheriff Stassi said Billiot was found hiding behind a levee and took off when he saw law enforcement. K-9 units assisted in the arrest. 

St. Mary Parish sheriff's deputies and Morgan City police officers helped capture Billiot.

State records indicate Billiot is serving seven years after being convicted of possession of child pornography.

Stassi said Billiot will be booked with simple escape and theft of a motor vehicle.