The Leavenworth County attorney’s office on Monday afternoon issued a warrant for the arrest of 48-year-old Toby Young in connection with the escape of inmate John M. Manard from the Lansing Correctional Facility on Sunday, the Kansas Department of Corrections said in a news release.

Young is president of the Safe Harbor Prison Dog Program, which has operated at the Lansing Correctional Facility since August 2004.

Safe Harbor receives dogs from animal shelters across northeast Kansas; inmates feed, groom and socialize the dogs to improve their chances of being placed in a new home. Manard, 27, is one of the inmates who participated in the program.

The warrant charging Young with aiding and abetting aggravated escape and aiding a felon was issued based upon information developed during the investigation of Manard’s escape, the news release said.

Manard is believed to have left the prison Sunday in a white 1998 Ford F-150 cargo van with Kansas personalized license plates SHDOGS from Wyandotte County. The van has the lettering www.SafeHarborPrisonDogs.com and the Safe Harbor logo printed on the driver’s side; the telephone number 913-219-0297 and “Where Dogmanity Began…” are printed on the passenger side.

Manard is described as a white male, 6-foot-2, 190 pounds, with red/auburn hair and hazel eyes. He was convicted of first-degree murder, aggravated robbery and criminal possession of a firearm in Johnson County District Court. He was sentenced in April 1997.

Manard should be considered armed and dangerous, the news release said.

Young is described as a 48-year old white female, 5-foot-1, 130 pounds, with brown hair and brown eyes. Young had been at the prison Sunday, and authorities have been unable to locate either her or the van since that time.

Anyone who has information concerning the possible location of Manard, Young or the Safe Harbor Prison Dog Program van is encouraged to contact local law enforcement or Lansing Correctional Facility at (913) 727-3235.