People v. Rascon CA3

BACKGROUND

Defendant was an inmate at the Sugar Pine Conservation Camp (SPCC), a fire camp operated by the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR). On the morning of April 28, 2012, Captain Dennis Lange of the Department of Forestry and Fire Protection spotted two individuals, in inmate clothing, running across a road outside of the camp perimeter. Captain Lange returned to camp and reported the sighting to Sergeant Thomas Bainbridge of the CDCR. Sergeant Bainbridge immediately ordered an emergency head count of all the camp’s inmates. The head count revealed that defendant and another inmate were missing. Sergeant Bainbridge also asked Captain Lange to return to the area where he had seen the individuals running. On his way there, Captain Lange encountered defendant walking down the road in the direction of the camp. A short time later, Sergeant Bainbridge observed defendant approximately 150 yards outside the camp perimeter. Sergeant Bainbridge found the second missing inmate nearby. Both inmates were taken into custody without incident.2 Defendant was charged with escape from custody, a felony. (§ 4530, subd. (b).) The complaint (later deemed an…