San Diego

A prisoner who escaped from a hospital while being guarded by a private security guard was sentenced Monday to six years in state prison.

Michael Valadez, 27, of Spring Valley received the maximum five-year term for the escape and one year consecutively in two drug cases.

Valadez was recovering in Mercy Hospital from a gunshot wound in the leg suffered Jan. 26 during a drug raid in Chula Vista when he escaped Jan. 29.

The security guard, Jon Lowry, later told police that Valadez’s girlfriend, Teresa Reyes, 24, of San Ysidro visited Valadez and then said she had a bomb.

The couple ordered Lowry to drive them to Mexico, which he did, and he later called police. However, Lowry reportedly failed a lie-detector test and quit the security firm several days later.

Valadez told probation officials that he did not arrange his own escape. He said he was on painkillers at the time of his girlfriend’s visit and that the guard was “paid off” to help him escape.

The San Diego County Probation Department was unable to locate the guard to interview him about what happened. Prosecutors said no charges will be filed against the guard, as there is no proof that he was involved in the escape.