Incarcerated Person Apprehended After Walking Away from Washington Ridge Conservation Camp

NEVADA COUNTY - California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) officials today announced the apprehension of Miguel Banuelos, an incarcerated person who walked away from Washington Ridge Conservation Camp in Nevada County on July 4, 2026.

With information from CDCR's Office of Correctional Safety officials, Mexican authorities apprehended Banuelos without incident at a residence in Tijuana, Mexico, on July 6 at approximately 11:20 a.m. Banuelos will appear before an immigration judge and then will be processed through the port of entry. He will be rehoused at a CDCR institution, and his case will be referred to the Nevada County District Attorney for possible escape charges.

Banuelos, 49, was received from San Diego County on July 23, 2025. He was sentenced to seven years for transportation or sale of a controlled substance and possession or purchase of heroin/cocaine exceeding four kilograms. He was scheduled to be released on April 20, 2028.

Since 1977, 99 percent of the people who have escaped or walked away from an adult institution, camp, in-state contract bed, or community-based program placement have been apprehended.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: [email protected]

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