An elusive two-time escape artist sought after by authorities since July was captured by Ute Mountain security officers and Towaoc Police early Friday morning outside the Tribal Office Complex, reported the Towaoc Police Department Thursday.

The wily juvenile is suspected of several burglaries and thefts in the Towaoc area and was serving time for similar charges, including a previous escape, at the McKinley County Youth Detention Center in Gallup, N.M. He escaped from that facility July 8 by crawling up through the ceiling and punching a hole in a fabric roof. Once outside the escapee scaled a tall light tower, dropped over the boundary fence and returned to the Towaoc area.

"He has been in the area and is a suspect in a number of thefts," said Towaoc Police Chief Dusty Whiting. "We have had several close calls where we nearly captured him, but he is quite a little Houdini fellow."

The Gallup Independent confirmed the identity of the juvenile as Sherman Scott, 17.

Ute Mountain Ute security officers following up on a break-in attempt at the tribal headquarters captured Scott and another man near the building at 1:30 a.m. The two reportedly were drunk and unsuccessfully attempted to assault officers with a metal pipe, officials said.

A month previous to his escape from the detention center in Gallup, the Ute Mountain Ute tribal member managed to escape the confines of the Towaoc jail by pushing up ceiling panels, dropping into a utility room and fleeing out the back door.