Downstate cops catch Colo. jail escapee

CHAMPAIGN -- Police in eastern Illinois say they've captured a man wanted since his escape from a Colorado prison in 1997.

Champaign police say they arrested Aaron Smith on Thursday after receiving an anonymous tip. Police say they took him into custody without incident.

According to a Champaign police news release, Smith was serving a six-year sentence for assault when he escaped from a Colorado prison. The 38-year-old is accused of assaulting a prison guard while escaping.

He's being held at the Champaign County Jail in Urbana.

Other details about the arrest and Smith's life since his escape weren't immediately available.