Palmetto police had a man in custody. Then he left the building, cops say 

A man who was arrested and in custody at the Palmetto Police Department managed to escape on Monday, according to the agency.

Officers have been unable to locate the man, who may go by the name Luke, and are now seeking the public’s help to find him.

The man was arrested on Monday for shoplifting at a local business, according to police, and transported to the department for questioning and identification. Police say he was also wanted for questioning in recent robbery and burglary incidents.

While in custody, police say that the man gave investigators two different identities that included personal information such as birth dates and Social Security numbers. Detectives determined that the information belonged to other people.

However, as they attempted to confirm his real identity, police say that the handcuffed man escaped the police department’s interview room and left the building.

Police say that the man is homeless and often spends time near the Walmart store at 508 10th St. E., Palmetto. He is described as a 30 to 35-year-old male, about 5 feet 10 inches tall and 135 pounds. He has a full beard and mustache and long, black hair that he sometimes wears in a bun, according to police.

He was last seen wearing a long sleeve T-shirt with dark colored-sleeves, dark blue athletic pants with white stripes and white tennis shoes.

Anyone with information to report can call the Palmetto Police Department at 941-721-2000 or Manatee County Crime Stoppers at 1-866-634-8477.