Pitchess Jail Escapees Captured
Three inmates who escaped from Pitchess Detention Center by walking out of an unfenced laundry warehouse were captured Wednesday morning a few miles from the Castaic jail, authorities said.
The inmates were in a car that was pulled over by California Highway Patrol officers on the southbound Golden State Freeway in Santa Clarita. CHP Officer Sheri Jones said the suspects had found the keys in the vehicle. The car had not been reported stolen, authorities said.
The men were assigned to a work detail at a laundry facility in a remote part of the 2,800-acre jail site, said Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Capt. Bruce Pollack. They apparently walked out of a rear dock area Tuesday night.
The three were identified as Rogelio Galarza, 31, being held on weapons charges; Roman Becerra, 20, held on burglary charges; and Ricardo Hernandez, 34, jailed on drug charges.
Times staff writer Richard Fausset contributed to this report.
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