A California convict serving a 10-year sentence for a gun-fueled domestic violence incident has managed to escape custody by simply walking off the grounds of his low-security work site. Santiago Duran, 35, disappeared from the Julius Klein Conservation Camp in Azusa, a suburb of Los Angeles, sometime before 2:45 p.m. on Monday.
According to the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, prison officials realized Duran was missing around that time. The department’s press release mentioned that Duran “walked away” from the facility. A massive manhunt has been launched to locate him.
Duran was serving his sentence for a 2022 standoff with police in Porterville, California, where he confronted officers with a handgun during a domestic abuse incident. He had been at the work site, which accommodates low- to medium-risk inmates, for about 18 months before his escape. Inmates at the camp are assigned various jobs, such as groundskeeping and maintenance duties.
This is not the first time an inmate has managed to escape from the facility. In July 2023, Evan Chezick also walked off the grounds unnoticed and was later recaptured after committing a home invasion.
The authorities have emphasized that 99 percent of escaped inmates are eventually recaptured. They are urging the public to be on the lookout for Duran, who was last seen wearing a long-sleeve white thermal top and gray sweatpants. He is described as 5’7” tall, weighing 172 pounds, with black hair, brown eyes, and numerous tattoos.
As the search for Duran continues, authorities are working diligently to ensure his swift apprehension and return to custody.
