L.A. murder suspect wrongly released from jail captured in Mexico

A murder suspect mistakenly released from Los Angeles County Jail last year was apprehended in Mexico and returned to U.S. law enforcement officers, authorities said Wednesday night.

Reputed gang member Johnny Mata, 34, was turned over to deputies at the San Ysidro port of entry in San Diego County, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said.

Sheriff’s investigators, working with federal and local law enforcement agencies, gathered information indicating that Mata had been in Mexico. Missing paperwork had resulted in Mata being mistakenly released from county jail downtown on April 4, 2013, authorities said.

At the time, Mata had been charged with murder in connection with a 2010 gang shooting in Baldwin Park, authorities said.

Mata was rebooked Wednesday night at the County Jail and was being held in lieu of $2 million in bail, authorities said.

The Sheriff’s Department said last year that four inmates had been wrongly released. Unlike Mata, the other three inmates were not considered high-risk criminals, department authorities said. All three were captured.

Jason Gatewood received an 851-day sentence for identity theft but was wrongly released when an Orange County law enforcement agency detention request was ignored. He was rearrested Jan. 3, 2013, the day after officials noticed he was missing.

Valerie Ray was arrested on suspicion of grand theft but was released Jan. 29, 2013, after a clerk missed a bail enhancement. Ray was detained again several days later, according to authorities.

Charles Lee was arrested by Pomona police and appeared before a parole board for a violation. The board on Feb. 25, 2013, sentenced Lee to 114 days in jail, but a clerical error resulted in his release, authorities said. Lee was recaptured two days later.