An inmate from Alameda County has been apprehended after escaping from a minimum-security prison camp in the Sierra foothills.
He was caught just hours after his escape on Friday morning. A 26-year-old individual named Jonathan LealBetancourt was found to be missing during a headcount at Vallecito Conservation Camp in Calaveras County, California.
The incident occurred at 3 a.m. on Friday along Highway 4, east of Angels Camp. After the discovery, prison staff wasted no time and swiftly initiated a thorough search of the facility buildings and grounds.
They received assistance from local law enforcement agencies and Cal Fire, who work in partnership with CDCR to operate the prison camp. In a recent update, authorities have reported that LealBetancourt was captured in the Vallecito community without any complications.
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He was taken to Sierra Conservation Center, a prison in Tuolumne County. The corrections officials have stated that they will be forwarding his case to the Calaveras County District Attorney’s Office, potentially resulting in escape charges.
June 2023 saw LealBetancourt’s admission from Alameda County on a five-year, four-month sentence for first-degree burglary, receiving stolen property, vehicle theft, and buying/receiving a stolen vehicle and construction equipment.
Since 1977, police have been able to apprehend 99% of those who escaped from adult institutions, camps, or community-based programs without authorization, according to CDCR.
Source: CBS News