Inmate with violent history escapes from facility northwest of Duluth

An inmate from a northeastern Minnesota facility remains a fugitive Monday, three days after he escaped.

Keith C. Bellanger, 33, slipped out of the Northeastern Regional Corrections Center late Friday afternoon near Saginaw, according to the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office.

Authorities have not said why Bellanger was in the facility. His criminal history in Minnesota spans his entire life and includes two convictions for burglary and two for domestic assault.

He was being transferred to the secure wing of the facility when he ran off the property, the Sheriff's Office said.

Deputies followed Bellanger's tracks in the snow onto Shady Lane along Caribou Lake, before the track was lost. A K-9 unit arrived, picked up the scent and followed it for roughly 4 miles through woods and onto Lindahl Road before the track was again lost, according to the Sheriff's Office.

Assisting in the search have been the state Department of Natural Resources, the State Patrol and U.S. border personnel.

The corrections center is about 15 miles northwest of Duluth. It has a 144-inmate capacity and is divided into minimum- and medium-security levels. Most inmates work on a farm on the property.