LOS ANGELES — California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials are searching for Richard Ledesma, who walked away from the Male Community Reentry Program (MCRP) facility in Los Angeles on Friday, Feb. 12.
At approximately 9:15 p.m. it was determined that Ledesma had departed the MCRP without authorization and an emergency search was initiated. Within minutes, agents from CDCR’s Office of Correctional Safety were dispatched to locate and apprehend Ledesma. Local law enforcement agencies were notified.
Ledesma, 36, is 5 feet, 7 inches tall and weighs 175 pounds. He was admitted from Los Angeles County on March 16, 2020, with a two-year, eight-month sentence for grand theft, a second strike. Ledesma arrived at the MCRP on Nov. 30, 2020. He was scheduled for release from CDCR custody in November 2021.
Anyone who sees Ledesma or has any knowledge of his whereabouts should immediately contact law enforcement or call 911.
The MCRP allows eligible offenders committed to state prison to serve the end of their sentences in the reentry center and provides them the programs and tools necessary to transition from custody to the community. It is a voluntary program for male offenders who have approximately one year left to serve. The program connects offenders to a range of community-based rehabilitative services that assist with substance use disorders, mental health care, medical care, employment, education, housing, family reunification and social support.
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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