Sex Offender Recaptured After Fleeing Crew

An escaped sex offender mistakenly assigned to a brush clearance unit was recaptured late Monday in El Monte, authorities said.

John Alvarez, 54, was serving a 90-day sentence at the Pitchess Detention Center in Saugus after he was convicted of being under the influence of a controlled substance and petty theft, according to the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

He had an outstanding warrant and was a registered sex offender in Arizona, according to a statement from Sheriff’s Lt. Michael Payne. He was assigned to the fire crew as a “result of a staff oversight,” since only nonviolent offenders who do not pose a threat to the public are usually so assigned, officials said.

Alvarez apparently walked away from the crew and hitched a ride with a motorist to Magic Mountain Parkway in Valencia. Sheriff’s deputies searched the Castaic area, Valencia and Santa Clarita, but found nothing before detectives turned their attention to El Monte, where they learned Alvarez had family. About 10:20 p.m., detectives saw Alvarez walking near Peck Road and Valley Boulevard, where he was arrested without incident.