Relatives of escapee, wife ordered free on personal bond

A U.S. magistrate has ordered two relatives of escaped ATM robbery suspect Timothy Lee Blackburn and his wife, Puthea Lee, released on their own recognizance.

Terry Blackburn, Timothy's brother, and Seila Lin, Lee's sister, were ordered released Monday on personal bond by U.S. Magistrate Roger Hunt. Blackburn was released Monday night from the North Las Vegas jail. Lin was released today from the Clark County Detention Center, jail officials said.

The U.S. attorney's office argued against Lin's release on the grounds that she poses a danger in the community and that she allegedly lied to federal authorities regarding Timothy Blackburn's escape from the North Las Vegas jail.

The FBI on Monday obtained warrants for the arrests of Timothy Blackburn and Lee, charging them with Blackburn's jail break.

Timothy Blackburn was at the jail awaiting trial on charges of robbing more than $1 million from a Bank of America ATM repository last year when he made a daring escape while visiting with his wife about 11:30 p.m. last Wednesday.

As an escaped federal prisoner Blackburn is considered armed and dangerous, authorities said.

"He is a big guy -- not someone you would want to run into in a dark place," FBI Agent Kevin Caudle said today. "He is a martial arts expert, a body builder and an outdoorsman."

The FBI has offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to Blackburn's arrest. It is believed he is still in the Las Vegas area, Caudle said.

Caudle released additional information so the public can assist authorities in Blackburn's capture:

* He was born Jan. 8, 1973, in Seoul, South Korea.

* He is a U.S. citizen who has lived in the United States at least 10 years.

* He is 6-feet-3 inches tall, weighs 205 pounds, is classified as an Asian and has brown hair and brown eyes.

* He has 2- and 4-year-old daughters.

* His mother, Sun Tok Blackburn, lives in Las Vegas.

* His last known address was 6586 Pipe Spring Drive in Las Vegas.

* He last worked as a security guard at The Beach nightclub in Las Vegas.

* He was convicted of obstructing a police officer in 1996 and was convicted of assault with a deadly weapon in 1993.

Anyone who sees Blackburn or knows his whereabouts is asked to call the FBI at 385-1281.

Blackburn's brother and Lee's sister were arrested Sunday morning. Terry Blackburn was arrested for aiding and abetting in the escape. Lin was arrested a short time later on a charge of making false statements to the FBI.

North Las Vegas Police said Timothy Lee Blackburn, 26, was able to elude security as he and Puthea Lee, 24, also known as Sophia Kim, ran from the jail and escaped in a waiting Isuzu pickup that later was recovered in a North Las Vegas parking lot.

Corrections officers believe that Lee was able to sneak a gun and some kind of tool into the visitation area of the jail. While fleeing through the jail parking lot, Blackburn and Lee exchanged gunfire with officers, police said.

Authorities consider Blackburn one of the ringleaders of a group that is charged with kidnapping a janitorial crew in December 1998 and using their keys to break into an ATM bank vault repository.

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