A 38-year-old inmate, Jessie Meza, who was serving a 16-year sentence for firearms offenses, was apprehended on Thursday morning after escaping from the Acton Conservation Camp in Los Angeles County.
Meza was noticed missing after a head count on Tuesday night, which prompted authorities to issue an alert about his disappearance, according to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). Local law enforcement was immediately notified and launched an investigation into the escape.
The search for Meza culminated around 10:20 a.m. Thursday in Bakersfield, where he was found and taken into custody without resistance.
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Meza had been convicted in Kern County in March 2022 for firearms-related offenses and vandalism. Following his escape, he is now facing additional charges related to the incident.
“He will be relocated to a higher security facility, and his case will be forwarded to the Los Angeles County District Attorney’s Office for possible escape charges,” a CDCR representative said.
The Acton Conservation Camp, where Meza was housed, is responsible for providing inmate work crews that assist in fire suppression efforts across Los Angeles County and California.
Escapes from California’s prison camps are extremely rare. According to CDCR data, 99% of individuals who have escaped from state facilities have been captured since 1977.
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