Authorities are searching for two men who escaped from arestitution center in Jackson over a week ago and possiblyburglarized two homes in Ruth over the weekend.

Lincoln County Sheriff Lynn Boyte said Robert Keith Hardin, 19,of Starnes Road, McComb, and Johnny Lee Wallace, 18, of 3629Winnrose Road, Ruth, are wanted for absconding supervision and forquestioning about two burglaries Friday.

“We found clothes in one of the victims’ houses that he(Wallace) had taken with him to the restitution center,” saidBoyte.

The houses, both on Winnrose Road in Ruth, belonged to Wallace’srelatives. His aunt was allegedly attacked during one of theburglaries.

“She said two white male subjects tied her up, put her in thecloset and then robbed the house,” said Investigator Steve Rushing.”She could not tell if it was Wallace because the lower part oftheir faces were covered with a mask.”

A gun and camcorder were taken, but the camcorder was laterdiscovered in the yard. Money was taken from the other house, whichbelonged to Wallace’s grandmother, said Rushing.

The aunt was not seriously injured in the incident and thegrandmother was not home at the time of the burglaries.

Both houses were broken into a few years ago, and Wallace wasfound guilty on both counts of burglary of a dwelling.

He was sentenced in April 2001 by Judge Keith Starrett tocomplete the Regimated Inmate Discipline (RID) program and payrestitution to his family members.

Wallace had completed the RID program and was working at therestitution center to earn money to pay the victims.

Boyte said Wallace had apparently become friends with Hardin,who was sentenced to the restitution center after he was foundguilty of auto burglary in Hattiesburg.

Wallace and Hardin had also made friends with Bobby Jackson Jr.,31, of Junction Lane, Brookhaven, who also escaped March 2, saidBoyte.

“They apprehended Bobby Jackson in McComb trying to sell anautomobile that belonged to his relative,” said Boyte.

Jackson was also charged with felonious bad checks. He is beingheld in the Pike County Jail and will be transferred to LincolnCounty this week, said Boyte.

Hardin and Wallace were last seen hitching a ride south onHighway 583 over the weekend.

Anyone with information about their whereabouts, should contactthe Lincoln County Sheriff’s Department at (601)833-5231.