Escaped prisoner sighting prompts lockdowns in N.J.

A possible sighting of a state prison inmate who escaped from custody in Camden County this week prompted lockdowns near the Shore on Wednesday.

Schools in Barnegat Township were put on lockdown and residents were told to lock their doors until further notice after a stolen Chevrolet Silverado, believed to be driven by Arthur Buckel, was seen at a CVS store there Wednesday morning, police said.

Buckel, 38, was last seen at Bayside State Prison's satellite unit at Ancora Psychiatric Hospital shortly after 4 a.m. Tuesday.

The Passaic County man had been jailed on aggravated assault and drug charges, and was to be eligible for parole this month, according to state Department of Corrections records.

Numerous Ocean County agencies were searching for him after he was spotted in Barnegat Wednesday, but he had not been apprehended as of early afternoon.

Buckel was described as white, about 5 feet 9 inches tall, weighing 180 pounds. He has brown hair, blue eyes, a goatee, and a small tattoo under his left eye.

ebabay@philly.com @EmilyBabay