Robeson County Sheriff Burnis Wilkins said a man who was sentenced to life in prison on Friday for the murder of 13-year-old Lumberton child Hania Aguilar tried to escape both before and after the hearing.

Wilkins said that after being sentenced Friday morning, Michael McLellan was taken to Central Prison in Raleigh, where he uncuffed himself using a handcrafted handcuff key.

He claimed that by putting his arms through a plexiglass opening between the front and rear seats, McLellan was able to get at the deputy’s firearm.

Then, Wilkins said, the officer slammed on the brakes, causing a fellow deputy in a car behind him to hit his car.

Then, he said, both officers started fighting with McLellan for the firearm.

McLellan continually told the officer, “You’re going to love this,” according to Wilkins.

He said that McLellan lost the deputy’s gun after being pepper-sprayed by a detention center officer who was also in the vehicle.

Wilkins claims that McLellan tried to break out of his leg cuffs with a homemade key on his way to the court on Friday morning.

He clarified that his transport officer, who was operating the vehicle, pulled over to look into the reason behind the heavy activity in the backseat.

He became aware that McLellan was attempting to escape at that point.

To get McLellan to the hearing, Wilkins said they managed to take out the key and put him back in the leg shackles.

He claimed that because of security concerns over McLellan, the hearing started earlier than anticipated.

According to Wilkins, his deputies were notified of the issue in each case when they noticed strange movement in the rear seat of the vehicle.

They carried out their duties just as directed. We found an issue. “I discovered the issue when I pulled over,” Wilkins continued.

He claimed that they reported McLellan’s theft of two homemade keys from Central Prison in Raleigh, which they believe he brought from the institution.

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