A weeks-long search for an escaped inmate in northeastern Minnesota came to an end on Tuesday.

The St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says 40-year-old Michael Hart fled the Northeast Regional Corrections Center in Saginaw on Sept. 23. The center is located about 20 miles northwest of Duluth.

Law enforcement found Hart while executing a search warrant at a home in Cohasset, Minnesota around 11:30 a.m. Tuesday. He was found underneath the home's basement stairwell and refused to exit, authorities say. A pepper ball allegedly had to be deployed at Hart in order to take him into custody.

Even after being placed in handcuffs, the St. Louis County Sheriff's Office says Hart remained uncooperative and assaulted deputies.

A 29-year-old woman was arrested alongside Hart for aiding an offender.

Authorities were led to Cohasset after receiving information that Hart was back on the Iron Range after his escape.

Before his capture, authorities received reports the day after his escape that he was seen in the area of Highways 8 and 53. Despite searches with K9s, drones and a State Patrol plane, he wasn't found. However, they found two accomplices who were both detained. At least one of the accomplices has been charged with aiding an offender.

According to its website, Northeast Regional Corrections Center is a "minimum/medium security institution" for men, and is considered "Minnesota's only correctional work farm."

The center can hold 144 inmates on its 3,200-acre property that borders Caribou and Fish lakes.

Note: The video above originally aired on Sept. 25, 2025.