Police in Dartmouth, N.S. have re-captured a man who escaped by slipping undetected out the back door of a sheriff's van Wednesday morning.

Nova Scotia Justice Department spokesperson Dan Harrison said 48-year-old Thomas Arnold Jones was apprehended in the early afternoon after police implemented a dragnet around the area where he was believed to be hiding.

Harrison said it's still unclear how Jones managed to slip out of the van, which was carrying sheriffs and other inmates who were also bound for court.

Jones was to be sentenced for break and enter during his scheduled court appearance on Wednesday, and faces additional charges of assault, unlawful confinement and arson, Harrison said.

Jones escaped from the van around 9:30 a.m. local time.

A CTV News viewer was travelling behind the sheriff's van and photographed the man as he fled from the back of the vehicle and made his escape while wearing leg shackles.

The photo submitted to CTV appears to show the man slipping out the back door of the vehicle, ducking down to avoid detection while the van was stopped on a highway.

CTV Atlantic's Kayla Hounsell, reporting from Dartmouth earlier Wednesday, said police were searching through backyards and hopping over fences in their attempts to find the escapee in an area around the courthouse and nearby hospital.

Hounsell told CTV Atlantic she spoke with a woman who had a terrifying encounter with the escapee.

"She was on her way to the Dollarama and before she could get out of her car this prisoner came up to her car and tried to get in," Hounsell said.

"She of course was very frightened, didn't know what was happening at the time but was able to lock the doors of her car. He stopped and said 'oh' and then took off."