COALINGA — A minimum-security inmate who walked away from Pleasant Valley State Prison on January 18 was apprehended this evening in Los Angeles County.
Inmate Hector Fernandez was taken into custody by CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety (OCS) Special Service Unit agents at approximately 7:30 p.m. in the city of Wilmington. He was arrested at his mother’s residence. During the arrest, Fernandez was found to be in possession of a stolen U-Haul truck that he was suspected of stealing from a local business in Coalinga earlier today. Fernandez will be transported to California Institution for Men, and his case will be referred to the Fresno County District Attorney’s Office for consideration of escape charges.
Fernandez, 32, was discovered missing during an inmate count at 12 a.m. on Friday January 18, 2019. He was received by CDCR from San Bernardino County with a twelve-year sentence for assault with a deadly weapon, resisting arrest, evading a peace officer, and vehicle theft.
OCS’s mission is to protect the public and serve CDCR investigative and security interests. OCS is the primary departmental link with allied law enforcement agencies and the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services.
Since 1977, 99 percent of all offenders who have left an adult institution, camp, or community-based program without permission have been apprehended.
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Contact: (916) 445-4950